Insecticidal proteins

ABSTRACT

Compositions and methods for controlling plant pests are disclosed. In particular, novel engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins having toxicity to at least European corn borer are provided. By fusing unique combinations of complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of at least two different Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry proteins or a modified Cry proteins a hybrid insecticidal protein having activity against at least European corn borer is designed. Nucleic acid molecules encoding the novel hybrid proteins are also provided. Methods of making the hybrid proteins and methods of using the hybrid proteins and nucleic acids encoding the hybrid proteins of the invention, for example in transgenic plants to confer protection from insect damage are also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/148,399, filed May 6, 2016, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/623,921, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,522,937, filed Sep. 21, 2012, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/529,246, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,309,516, filed Aug. 31, 2009, which is a § 371 of PCT/US08/58182, filed Mar. 26, 2008, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/920,493, filed Mar. 28, 2007, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to the fields of protein engineering, plant molecular biology and pest control. More particularly the invention relates to novel engineered hybrid proteins having insecticidal activity, nucleic acids whose expression results in the insecticidal proteins, and methods of making and methods of using the insecticidal proteins and corresponding nucleic acids to control insects.

Insect pests are a major cause of crop losses. In the US alone, billions of dollars are lost every year due to infestation by various genera of insects. In addition to losses in field crops, insect pests are also a burden to vegetable and fruit growers, to producers of ornamental flowers, and they are a nuisance to gardeners and homeowners.

Species of corn rootworm are considered to be the most destructive corn pests. In the United States, the three important species are Diabrotica virgifera virgifera, the western corn rootworm, D. longicornis barberi, the northern corn rootworm and D. undecimpunctata howardi, the southern corn rootworm. Only western and northern corn rootworms are considered primary pests of corn in the US Corn Belt. An important corn rootworm pest in the Southern US is the Mexican corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera zeae. Corn rootworm larvae cause the most substantial plant damage by feeding almost exclusively on corn roots. This injury has been shown to increase plant lodging, to reduce grain yield and vegetative yield as well as alter the nutrient content of the grain. Larval feeding also causes indirect effects on corn by opening avenues through the roots for bacterial and fungal infections which lead to root and stalk rot diseases. Adult corn rootworms are active in cornfields in late summer where they feed on ears, silks and pollen, thus interfering with normal pollination.

Corn rootworms are mainly controlled by intensive applications of chemical pesticides, which are active through inhibition of insect growth, prevention of insect feeding or reproduction, or cause death. Good corn rootworm control can thus be reached, but these chemicals can sometimes also affect other, beneficial organisms. Another problem resulting from the wide use of chemical pesticides is the appearance of resistant insect varieties. Yet another problem is due to the fact that corn rootworm larvae feed underground thus making it difficult to apply rescue treatments of insecticides. Therefore, most insecticide applications are made prophylactically at the time of planting. This practice results in a large environmental burden. This has been partially alleviated by various farm management practices, but there is an increasing need for alternative pest control mechanisms.

Biological pest control agents, such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains expressing pesticidal toxins like δ-endotoxins (delta-endotoxins; also called crystal toxins or Cry proteins), have also been applied to crop plants with satisfactory results against primarily lepidopteran insect pests. The δ-endotoxins are proteins held within a crystalline matrix that are known to possess insecticidal activity when ingested by certain insects. The various δ-endotoxins have been classified based upon their spectrum of activity and sequence homology. Prior to 1990, the major classes were defined by their spectrum of activity with the Cry1 proteins active against Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), Cry2 proteins active against both Lepidoptera and Diptera (flies and mosquitoes), Cry3 proteins active against Coleoptera (beetles) and Cry4 proteins active against Diptera (Hofte & Whitely, 1989, Microbiol. Rev. 53:242-255). A new nomenclature was developed in 1998 which systematically classifies the Cry proteins based on amino acid sequence homology rather than insect target specificities (Crickmore et al. 1998, Microbiol. Molec. Biol. Rev. 62:807-813).

The spectrum of insecticidal activity of an individual δ-endotoxin from Bt is quite narrow, with a given δ-endotoxin being active against only a few species within an Order. For instance, a Cry3A toxin is known to be very toxic to the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, but has very little or no toxicity to related beetles in the genus Diabrotica (Johnson et al., 1993, J. Econ. Entomol. 86:330-333). According to Slaney et al. (1992, Insect Biochem. Molec. Biol. 22:9-18) a Cry3A toxin is at least 2000 times less toxic to southern corn rootworm larvae than to the Colorado potato beetle. It is also known that Cry3A has little or no toxicity to the western corn rootworm or northern corn rootworm.

Specificity of the δ-endotoxins is the result of the efficiency of the various steps involved in producing an active toxic protein and its subsequent interaction with the epithelial cells in an insect mid-gut. To be insecticidal, most known δ-endotoxins must first be ingested by the insect and proteolytically activated to form an active toxin. Activation of the insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins is a multi-step process. After ingestion, the crystals must first be solubilized in the insect gut. Once solubilized, the 5-endotoxins are activated by specific proteolytic cleavages. The proteases in the insect gut can play a role in specificity by determining where the δ-endotoxin is processed. Once the δ-endotoxin has been solubilized and processed it binds to specific receptors on the surface of the insects' mid-gut epithelium and subsequently integrates into the lipid bilayer of the brush border membrane. Ion channels then form disrupting the normal function of the midgut eventually leading to the death of the insect.

In Lepidoptera, which have alkaline pH guts, gut proteases process δ-endotoxins for example, Cry1Aa, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1B and Cry1F, from 130-140 kDa protoxins to toxic proteins of approximately 60-70 kDa. Processing of the protoxin to toxin has been reported to proceed by removal of both N- and C-terminal amino acids with the exact location of processing being dependent on the specific δ-endotoxin and the specific insect gut fluids involved (Ogiwara et al., 1992, J. Invert. Pathol. 60:121-126). Thus activation requires that the entire C-terminal protoxin tail region be cleaved off. This proteolytic activation of a δ-endotoxin can play a significant role in determining its specificity.

Coleopteran insects have guts that are more neutral to acidic and coleopteran-specific δ-endotoxins are similar to the size of the activated lepidopteran-specific toxins. Therefore, the processing of coleopteran-specific δ-endotoxins was formerly considered unnecessary for toxicity. However, data suggests that coleopteran-active δ-endotoxins are solubilized and proteolyzed to smaller toxic polypeptides. A 73 kDa Cry3A δ-endotoxin protein produced by B. thuringiensis var. tenebrionis is readily processed in the bacterium at the N-terminus, losing 49-57 residues during or after crystal formation to produce the commonly isolated 67 kDa form (Carroll et al., 1989, Biochem. J. 261:99-105). McPherson et al., (1988, Biotechnology 6:61-66) also demonstrated that a native cry3A coding sequence contains two functional translational initiation codons in the same reading frame, one coding for a 73 kDa protein and the other coding for a 67 kDa protein starting at Met-1 and Met-48 respectively, of the deduced amino acid sequence. Both proteins then can be considered naturally occurring full-length Cry3A proteins.

As more knowledge has been gained as to how the δ-endotoxins function, attempts to engineer δ-endotoxins to have new activities have increased. Engineering 5-endotoxins was made more possible by solving the three dimensional structure of Cry3A in 1991 (Li et al., 1991, Nature 353:815-821). Li et al. determined that a Cry3A protein has three structural domains: the N-terminal domain I, from residues 58-290, consists of 7 α-helices, domain II, from residues 291-500, contains three β-sheets in a so-called Greek key-conformation, and the C-terminal domain III, from residues 501-644, is a β-sandwich in a so-called jellyroll conformation. The three dimensional structure for the lepidopteran active Cry1Aa toxin has also been solved (Grochulski et al., 1995, J. Mol. Biol. 254:447-464). The Cry1Aa toxin also has three domains: the N-terminal domain I, from residues 33-253, domain II from residues 265-461, and domain III from residues 463-609 with an additional outer strand in one of the β-sheets from by residues 254-264. If the Cry3A and Cry1Aa structures are projected on other Cry1 sequences, domain I runs from about amino acid residue 28 to 260, domain II from about 260 to 460 and domain III from about 460 to 600. See, Nakamura et al., Agric. Biol. Chem. 54(3): 715-724 (1990); Li et al., Nature 353: 815-821 (1991); Ge et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266(27): 17954-17958 (1991); and Honee et al., Mol. Microbiol. 5(11): 2799-2806 (1991); each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Thus, it is now known that based on amino acid sequence homology, known Bt δ-endotoxins have a similar three-dimensional structure comprising three domains.

The toxin portions of Bt Cry proteins are also characterized by having five conserved blocks across their amino acid sequence numbered CB1 to CB5 from N-terminus to C-terminus, respectively (Hofte & Whiteley, supra). Conserved block 1 (CB1) comprises approximately 29 amino acids, conserved block 2 (CB2) comprises approximately 67 amino acids, conserved block 3 (CB3) comprises approximately 48 amino acids, conserved block 4 (CB4) comprises approximately 10 amino acids and conserved block 5 (CB5) comprises approximately 12 amino acids. The sequences before and after these five conserved blocks are highly variable and thus are designated the “variable regions,” V1-V6. Domain I of a Bt δ-endotoxin typically comprises variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, and the N-terminal 52 amino acids of conserved block 2. Domain II typically comprises approximately the C-terminal 15 amino acids of conserved block 2, variable region 3, and approximately the N-terminal 10 amino acids of conserved block 3. Domain III typically comprises approximately the C-terminal 38 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, and conserved block 5. The Cry1 lepidopteran active toxins, among other delta-endotoxins, have a variable region 6 with approximately 1-3 amino acids lying within domain III.

Many Bt strains and δ-endotoxins are active against different insect species and nematodes. However, relatively few of these strains and toxins have activity against coleopteran insects. Further, most of the now known native coleopteran-active δ-endotoxins, for example Cry3A, Cry3B, Cry3C, Cry7A, Cry8A, Cry8B, and Cry8C, have insufficient oral toxicity against corn rootworm to provide adequate field control if delivered, for example, through microbes or transgenic plants. Therefore, other approaches for producing novel toxins active against corn rootworm need to be explored.

Lepidopteran-active δ-endotoxins have been engineered in attempts to improve specific activity or to broaden the spectrum of insecticidal activity. For example, the silk moth (Bombyx mori) specificity domain from a Cry1Aa protein was moved to a Cry1Ac protein, thus imparting a new insecticidal activity to the resulting hybrid Bt protein (Ge et al. 1989, PNAS 86: 4037-4041). Also, Bosch et al. 1998 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,131, incorporated herein by reference) describes Bacillus thuringiensis hybrid toxins comprising at their C-terminus domain III of a first Cry protein and at its N-terminus domains I and II of a second Cry protein. Such hybrid toxins were shown to have altered insecticidal specificity against lepidopteran insects. For example, the H04 hybrid toxin, which is also described in De Maagd et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62(5): 1537-1543 (1996), comprises at its N-terminus domains I and II of a Cry1Ab and at its C-terminus domain III of a Cry1C. H04 is reportedly highly toxic to the lepidopteran insect Spodoptera exigua (beet armyworm) compared with the parental Cry1Ab toxin and significantly more toxic than the Cry1C parental toxin. It has also been shown that substitution of domain III of toxins, which are not active against the beet armyworm such as Cry1E and Cry1Ab, by domain III of Cry1C, which is active against beet armyworm, can produce hybrid toxins that are active against this insect. All of the hybrids disclosed in Bosch et al. use domains from lepidopteran active Cry proteins to make new toxins with lepidopteran activity. The results do suggest that domain III of Cry1C is an important determinant of specificity for beet armyworm. See also, Bosch et al., FEMS Microbiology Letters 118: 129-134 (1994); Bosch et al., Bio/Technology 12: 915-918 (1994); De Maagd et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62(8): 2753-2757 (1996); and De Maagd et al., Mol. Microbiol. 31(2): 463-471 (1999); each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Several attempts at engineering the coleopteran-active δ-endotoxins have been reported. Chen and Stacy (U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,295, herein incorporated by reference) successfully created a corn rootworm active toxin by inserting a non-naturally occurring protease recognition site in domain I, domain III, or both domains I and III of a Cry3A protein. One of the resulting modified Cry3A proteins, designated Cry3A055, having a protease recognition site inserted in domain I, was active against several species of Diabrotica. Van Rie et al., 1997, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,123) engineered Cry3A by randomly replacing amino acids, thought to be important in solvent accessibility, in domain II with the amino acid alanine. Several of these random replacements confined to domain II were reportedly involved in increased western corn rootworm toxicity. However, others have shown that some alanine replacements in domain II of Cry3A result in disruption of receptor binding or structural instability (Wu and Dean, 1996, J. Mol. Biol. 255: 628-640). English et al., 1999, (Intl. Pat. Appl. Publ. No. WO 99/31248) reported amino acid substitutions in Cry3Bb that caused increases in toxicity to southern and western corn rootworm. However, of the 35 reported Cry3Bb mutants, only three, with mutations primarily in domain II and the domain I-domain II interface, were active against western corn rootworm. Further, the variation in toxicity of wild-type Cry3Bb against western corn rootworm in the same assays appear to be greater than any of the differences between the mutated Cry3Bb toxins and the wild-type Cry3Bb. Shadenkov et al. (1993, Mol. Biol. 27:586-591), made a hybrid protein by fusing amino acids 48-565 of a Cry3A protein to amino acids 526-725 of a Cry1Aa protein. Therefore, the cross-over between Cry3A and Cry1 Aa sequence was in conserved block 4 located in domain III. Cry3A is very active against the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata). However, the hybrid protein disclosed by Shadenkov et al. was not active against Colorado potato beetle even though more than 75% of the hybrid protein was made up of Cry3A sequence. Thus, the addition of only 25% of Cry1 Aa sequence destroyed activity against a coleopteran insect that the parent Cry3A was active against. This suggests that hybrid proteins made by fusing portions of a coleopteran-active Cry protein, e.g. Cry3A, and a lepidopteran-active Cry protein, e.g. Cry1A, would not have activity against coleopteran insects, particularly a coleopteran insect that is not naturally susceptible to Cry3A like corn rootworm.

In view of the above discussion, there remains a need to design new and effective pest control agents that provide an economic benefit to farmers and that are environmentally acceptable. Particularly needed are proteins that are toxic to Diabrotica species, a major pest of corn, that have a different mode of action than existing insect control products as a way to mitigate the development of resistance. Furthermore, delivery of control agents through products that minimize the burden on the environment, as through transgenic plants, are desirable.

SUMMARY

In view of these needs, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins (eHIPs). Such novel eHIPs are made by fusing unique combinations of variable regions and conserved blocks of at least two different Cry proteins and optionally including a protoxin tail region from a Bt Cry protein at the C-terminus or an N-terminal peptidyl fragment or both. For example, without limitation, by combining complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks from a first Cry protein that has coleopteran activity with complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks from a second Cry protein that has lepidopteran activity, and is different from the first Cry protein, and optionally including a protoxin tail region from a lepidopteran active Bt Cry protein, or an N-terminal peptidyl fragment or both, new engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins are created that have activity against a spectrum of insects different from the first or second parent Cry proteins or both. Such novel eHIPs may comprise complete or partial variable regions, conserved blocks or domains from a modified Cry3A protein and a Cry protein different from the modified Cry3A protein. The peptidyl fragment may confer insecticidal activity upon the eHIP, or may increase the insecticidal activity of the eHIP over an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment, or make the eHIP more stable than an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment. The eHIPs of the invention have surprising and unexpected toxicity to corn rootworm (Diabrotica sp.). The invention is further drawn to nucleic acids that encode the eHIPs or which is complementary to one which hybridizes under stringent conditions with the recombinant hybrid nucleic acids according to the invention.

Also included in the invention are vectors containing such recombinant (or complementary thereto) nucleic acids; a plant or micro-organism which includes, and enables expression of such nucleic acids; plants transformed with such nucleic acids, for example transgenic corn plants; the progeny of such plants which contain the nucleic acids stably incorporated and hereditable in a Mendelian manner, and/or the seeds of such plants and such progeny.

The invention also includes compositions and formulations containing the eHIPs, which are capable of inhibiting the ability of insect pests to survive, grow and reproduce, or of limiting insect-related damage or loss to crop plants, for example applying the eHIPs or compositions or formulations to insect-infested areas, or to prophylactically treat insect-susceptible areas or plants to confer protection against the insect pests.

The invention is further drawn to a method of making the eHIPs and to methods of using the nucleic acids, for example in microorganisms to control insects or in transgenic plants to confer protection from insect damage.

The novel eHIPs described herein are highly active against insects. For example, the eHIPs of the present invention can be used to control economically important insect pests such as western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) northern corn rootworm (D. longicornis barberi) and Mexican corn rootworm (D. virgifera zeae). Certain eHIPs may also be used to control European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and other lepidopteran insects. The eHIPs can be used singly or in combination with other insect control strategies to confer maximal pest control efficiency with minimal environmental impact.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following description of the invention and non-limiting examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings form part of the present specification and are included to further demonstrate certain aspects of the present invention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one or more of these drawings in combination with the detailed description of specific embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 1A-1E shows a sequence alignment of some eHIP embodiments with parental Cry proteins or modified Cry 3A used to construct the eHIPs, including, a Cry3A, Cry1Ab, and Cry3A055, and indicates percent identity. N-terminal peptidyl fragments are underlined. The 5 conserved blocks are labeled CB1-CB5. Location of junctions between domains I, II and III are designated by a vertical dashed line. A cathepsin G protease recognition sequence, AAPF, is in bold.

FIG. 2A-2E shows an alignment of eHIP embodiments that are active against at least western corn rootworm and indicates percent identity compared to the 8AF eHIP. N-terminal peptidyl fragments are single underlined. C-terminal protoxin tail regions are double underlined. The 5 conserved blocks are labeled CB1-CB5. Locations of junctions between domains I, II and III are indicated by “↓” and labeled accordingly. Locations of crossover positions are indicted by a “♦”. A cathepsin G protease recognition sequence, AAPF, is in bold.

FIG. 3 shows a map of recombinant vector 12207 used to transform corn comprising an expression cassette with a maize ubiquitin promoter operably linked to a FRCG coding sequence operably linked to a NOS terminator.

FIG. 4 shows a map of recombinant vector 12161 used to transform corn comprising an expression cassette with a maize ubiquitin promoter operably linked to a FR8a coding sequence operably linked to a NOS terminator.

FIG. 5 shows a map of recombinant vector 12208 used to transform corn comprising an expression cassette with a cestrum yellow leaf curling virus promoter (cmp) operably linked to a FRCG coding sequence operably linked to a NOS terminator.

FIG. 6 shows a map of recombinant vector 12274 used to transform corn comprising an expression cassette with a cestrum yellow leaf curling virus promoter (cmp) operably linked to a FR8a coding sequence operably linked to a NOS terminator.

FIG. 7 shows a map of recombinant vector 12473 used to transform corn comprising an expression cassette with a maize ubiquitin promoter (ubi) operably linked to a FRD3 coding sequence operably linked to a NOS terminator.

FIG. 8 shows a map of recombinant vector 12474 used to transform corn comprising an expression cassette with a cestrum yellow leaf curling virus promoter (cmp) operably linked to a FRD3 coding sequence operably linked to a NOS terminator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEQUENCES IN THE SEQUENCE LISTING

SEQ ID NO: 1 is the 2OL-8a nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 2 is the 2OL-8a encoded by SEQ ID NO: 1. SEQ ID NO: 3 is the FR8a nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 4 is the FR8a encoded by SEQ ID NO: 3. SEQ ID NO: 5 is the FRCG nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 6 is the FRCG encoded by SEQ ID NO: 5. SEQ ID NO: 7 is the FR8a-9F nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 8 is the 1-R8a-9F encoded by SEQ ID NO: 7. SEQ ID NO: 9 is the FR-9F-catg nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 10 is the FR-9F-catg encoded by SEQ ID NO: 9. SEQ ID NO: 11 is the FR8a-12AA nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 12 is the FR8a-12AA encoded by SEQ ID NO: 11. SEQ ID NO: 13 is the WR-9mut nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 14 is the WR-9mut encoded by SEQ ID NO: 13. SEQ ID NO: 15 is the FRD3 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 16 is the FRD3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 15. SEQ ID NO: 17 is the FR-12-cg-dm3 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 18 is the FR-12-cg-dm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 17. SEQ ID NO: 19 is the 9F-cg-del6 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 20 is the 9F-cg-de16 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 19. SEQ ID NO: 21 is the FR-cg-dm3 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 22 is the FR-cg-dm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 21. SEQ ID NO: 23 is the 9F-cg-dm3 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 24 is the 9F-cg-dm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO:23. SEQ ID NO: 25 is the B8a nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 26 is the B8a encoded by SEQ ID NO: 25. SEQ ID NO: 27 is the 5*B8a nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 28 is the 5*B8a encoded by SEQ ID NO: 27. SEQ ID NO: 29 is the V3A nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 30 is the V3A encoded by SEQ ID NO: 29. SEQ ID NO: 31 is the V4F nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 32 is the V4F encoded by SEQ ID NO: 31. SEQ ID NO: 33 is the 5*V4F nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 34 is the 5*V4F encoded by SEQ ID NO: 33. SEQ ID NO: 35 is the 2OL-7 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 36 is the 2OL-7 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 35. SEQ ID NO: 37 is the T7-2OL-7 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 38 is the T7-2OL-7 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 37. SEQ ID NO: 39 is the 5*2OL-7 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 40 is the 5*2OL-7 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 39. SEQ ID NO: 41 is the 2OL-10 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 42 is the 2OL-10 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 41. SEQ ID NO: 43 is the 5*2OL-10 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 44 is the 5*2OL-10 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 43. SEQ ID NO: 45 is the 2OL-12A nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 46 is the 2OL-12A encoded by SEQ ID NO: 45. SEQ ID NO: 47 is the 2OL-13 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 48 is the 2Ol-13 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 47. SEQ ID NO: 49 is the V5&6 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 50 is the V5&6 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 49. SEQ ID NO: 51 is the 5*V5&6 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 52 is the 5*V5&6 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 51. SEQ ID NO: 53 is the 88A-dm3 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 54 is the 88A-dm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 53. SEQ ID NO: 55 is the FR(1Fa) nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 56 is the FR(1Fa) encoded by SEQ ID NO: 55. SEQ ID NO: 57 is the FR(1Ac) nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 58 is the FR(1Ac) encoded by SEQ ID NO: 57. SEQ ID NO: 59 is the FR(1Ia) nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 60 is the FR(1Ia) encoded by SEQ ID NO: 59. SEQ ID NO: 61 is the DM23A nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 62 is the DM23A encoded by SEQ ID NO: 61. SEQ ID NO: 63 is the 8AF nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 64 is the 8AF encoded by SEQ ID NO: 63. SEQ ID NO: 65 is the 5*cry3A055 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 66 is the 5*Cry3A055 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 65. SEQ ID NO: 67 is a maize optimized cry3A nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 68 is the Cry3A encoded by SEQ ID NO: 67. SEQ ID NO: 69 is the cry3A055 nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 70 is the Cry3A055 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 69. SEQ ID NO: 71 is a maize optimized cry1Ab nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 72 is the Cry1Ab encoded by SEQ ID NO: 71. SEQ ID NO: 73 is a maize optimized cry1Ba nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 74 is the Cry1Ba encoded by SEQ ID NO: 73. SEQ ID NO: 75 is a maize optimized cry1Fa nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 76 is the Cry1Fa encoded by SEQ ID NO: 75. SEQ ID NO: 77 is a cry8Aa nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 78 is the Cry8Aa encoded by SEQ ID NO: 77. SEQ ID NO: 79 is a cry1Ac nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 80 is the Cry1Ac encoded by SEQ ID NO: 79. SEQ ID NO: 81 is a cry1Ia nucleotide sequence. SEQ ID NO: 82 is the Cry Ha encoded by SEQ ID NO: 81. SEQ ID NOs 83-125 are primer sequences useful in the present invention. SEQ ID NOs 126-134 are N-terminal peptidyl fragments. SEQ ID NO: 135 is a full-length Cry3A protein. SEQ ID NO: 136-143 are primer sequences useful in the present invention. SEQ ID NO: 144 is the T7-8AF coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 145 is the T7-8AF encoded by ASEQ ID NO: 144. SEQ ID NO: 146 is the -catG8AF coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 147 is the -CatG8AF encoded by SEQ ID NO: 146. SEQ ID NO: 148 is the 8AFdm3 coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 149 is the 8AFdm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 148. SEQ ID NO: 150 is the 8AFlongdm3 coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 151 is the 8AFlongdm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 150. SEQ ID NO: 152 is the cap8AFdm3 coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 153 is the cap8AFdm3 encoded by SEQ ID NO: 152. SEQ ID NO: 154 is the 8AFdm3T coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 155 is the 8AFdm3T encoded by SEQ ID NO: 154. SEQ ID NO: 156 is the 8AFlongdm3T coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 157 is the 8AFlongdm3T encoded by SEQ ID NO: 156. SEQ ID NO: 158 is the cap8AFdm3T coding sequence. SEQ ID NO: 159 is the cap8AFdm3T encoded by SEQ ID NO: 158. SEQ ID NO: 160 is the FR8a+34 eHIP.

Definitions

For clarity, certain terms used in the specification are defined and presented as follows:

“Activity” of the eHIPs of the invention is meant that the eHIPs function as orally active insect control agents, have a toxic effect, or are able to disrupt or deter insect feeding, which may or may not cause death of the insect. When an eHIP of the invention is delivered to the insect, the result is typically death of the insect, or the insect does not feed upon the source that makes the eHIP available to the insect.

“Associated with/operatively linked” refer to two nucleic acids that are related physically or functionally. For example, a promoter or regulatory DNA sequence is said to be “associated with” a DNA sequence that codes for RNA or a protein if the two sequences are operatively linked, or situated such that the regulatory DNA sequence will affect the expression level of the coding or structural DNA sequence.

In the context of the present invention, a “chimeric insecticidal protein” (CIP) is an insecticidal protein comprising a peptidyl fragment fused to the N-terminus of an eHIP. The peptidyl fragment may confer insecticidal activity upon the eHIP, may increase the insecticidal activity of the eHIP over an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment, or may make the eHIP more stable than an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment, particularly against at least western corn rootworm. The peptidyl fragment is an amino acid sequence that is typically heterologus to (not derived from) a Bt Cry protein but may be derived from a Bt Cry protein. Such peptidyl fragments extend from the N-terminus of the insecticidal protein and do not naturally occur at the N-terminus of Bt Cry proteins. One example of an N-terminal peptidyl fragment has the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 129) which is not derived from a Bt Cry protein.

A “coding sequence” is a nucleic acid sequence that is transcribed into RNA such as mRNA, rRNA, tRNA, snRNA, sense RNA or antisense RNA. Preferably the RNA is then translated in an organism to produce a protein.

In the context of the present invention, “connecting” nucleic acids means to join two or more nucleic acids together using any means known in the art. For example, without limitation, the nucleic acids may be ligated together using for example, DNA ligase, or may be annealed using PCR. The nucleic acids may also be joined by chemically synthesizing a nucleic acid using the sequence of two or more separate nucleic acids.

To “control” insects means to inhibit, through a toxic effect, the ability of insect pests to survive, grow, feed, and/or reproduce, or to limit insect-related damage or loss in crop plants. To “control” insects may or may not mean killing the insects, although it preferably means killing the insects.

In the context of the present invention, “corresponding to” means that when the amino acid sequences of certain proteins (for example Bt Cry proteins or modified Cry3A proteins) are aligned with each other, the amino acids that align with certain enumerated positions in for example, but not limited to, a Cry3A toxin (either SEQ ID NO: 68 or SEQ ID NO: 134); a Cry3A055 toxin (SEQ ID NO: 70); or a Cry1Ab toxin (SEQ ID NO: 72), but that are not necessarily in these exact numerical positions relative to the reference amino acid sequence, particularly as it relates to identification of domains I, II and III, and/or the conserved blocks and variable regions, these amino acid positions “correspond to” each other. For example, in delineating Domain I of a hybrid protein, amino acids 11-244 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) correspond to amino acids 58-290 of a native Cry3A toxin (SEQ ID NO: 135) or to amino acids 11-243 of a native Cry3A toxin (SEQ ID NO: 68) or to amino acids 33-254 of a native Cry1 Ab toxin.

In the context of the present invention the words “Cry protein” can be used interchangeably with the words “delta-endotoxin” or “δ-endotoxin.”

In the context of the present invention, an “engineered hybrid insecticidal protein” (eHIP) is an insecticidal protein created by fusing unique combinations of variable regions and conserved blocks of at least two different Cry proteins. Such novel eHIPs may comprise complete or partial variable regions, conserved blocks or domains from a modified Cry3A protein and a Cry protein different from the modified Cry3A protein. The eHIPs of the invention may optionally include a protoxin tail region from a Bt Cry protein or an N-terminal peptidyl fragment or both. For example without limitation, an eHIP is created by combining in an N-terminal to C-terminal direction, amino acids 1-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1 Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5 and variable region 6, and a 38 amino acid region of a Cry1 Ab protoxin tail. An eHIP that comprises an N-terminal peptidyl fragment may also be designated as a “chimeric insecticidal protein (CIP).”

To “deliver” an eHIP means that the eHIP comes in contact with an insect, resulting in a toxic effect and control of the insect. The eHIP may be delivered in many recognized ways, e.g., through a transgenic plant expressing the eHIP, formulated protein composition(s), sprayable protein composition(s), a bait matrix, or any other art-recognized toxin delivery system.

“Effective insect-controlling amount” means that concentration of an eHIP that inhibits, through a toxic effect, the ability of insects to survive, grow, feed and/or reproduce, or to limit insect-related damage or loss in crop plants. “Effective insect-controlling amount” may or may not mean killing the insects, although it preferably means killing the insects.

“Expression cassette” as used herein means a nucleic acid sequence capable of directing expression of a particular nucleotide sequence in an appropriate host cell, comprising a promoter operably linked to the nucleotide sequence of interest which is operably linked to termination signals. It also typically comprises sequences required for proper translation of the nucleotide sequence. The expression cassette comprising the nucleotide sequence of interest may have at least one of its components heterologous with respect to at least one of its other components. The expression cassette may also be one that is naturally occurring but has been obtained in a recombinant form useful for heterologous expression. Typically, however, the expression cassette is heterologous with respect to the host, i.e., the particular nucleic acid sequence of the expression cassette does not occur naturally in the host cell and must have been introduced into the host cell or an ancestor of the host cell by a transformation event. The expression of the nucleotide sequence in the expression cassette may be under the control of a constitutive promoter or of an inducible promoter that initiates transcription only when the host cell is exposed to some particular external stimulus. In the case of a multicellular organism, such as a plant, the promoter can also be specific to a particular tissue, or organ, or stage of development.

A “gene” is a defined region that is located within a genome and that, besides the aforementioned coding nucleic acid sequence, comprises other, primarily regulatory, nucleic acids responsible for the control of the expression, that is to say the transcription and translation, of the coding portion. A gene may also comprise other 5′ and 3′ untranslated sequences and termination sequences. Further elements that may be present are, for example, introns. The regulatory nucleic acid sequence of the gene may not normally be operatively linked to the associated nucleic acid sequence as found in nature and thus would be a chimeric gene.

“Gene of interest” refers to any gene which, when transferred to a plant, confers upon the plant a desired characteristic such as antibiotic resistance, virus resistance, insect resistance, disease resistance, or resistance to other pests, herbicide tolerance, improved nutritional value, improved performance in an industrial process or altered reproductive capability. The “gene of interest” may also be one that is transferred to plants for the production of commercially valuable enzymes or metabolites in the plant.

A “heterologous” nucleic acid sequence is a nucleic acid sequence not naturally associated with a host cell into which it is introduced, including non-naturally occurring multiple copies of a naturally occurring nucleic acid sequence. A heterologous amino acid sequence is one that is not naturally associated with a native amino acid sequence, for example an amino acid sequence of a Cry protein.

A “homologous” nucleic acid sequence is a nucleic acid sequence naturally associated with a host cell into which it is introduced.

“Homologous recombination” is the reciprocal exchange of nucleic acid fragments between homologous nucleic acid molecules.

“Identity” or “percent identity” refers to the degree of similarity between two nucleic acid or protein sequences. For sequence comparison, typically one sequence acts as a reference sequence to which test sequences are compared. When using a sequence comparison algorithm, test and reference sequences are input into a computer, subsequence coordinates are designated if necessary, and sequence algorithm program parameters are designated. The sequence comparison algorithm then calculates the percent sequence identity for the test sequence(s) relative to the reference sequence, based on the designated program parameters.

Optimal alignment of sequences for comparison can be conducted, e.g., by the local homology algorithm of Smith & Waterman, Adv. Appl. Math. 2: 482 (1981), by the homology alignment algorithm of Needleman & Wunsch, J. Mol. Biol. 48: 443 (1970), by the search for similarity method of Pearson & Lipman, Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 85: 2444 (1988), by computerized implementations of these algorithms (GAP, BESTFIT, FASTA, and TFASTA in the Wisconsin Genetics Software Package, Genetics Computer Group, 575 Science Dr., Madison, Wis.), or by visual inspection (see generally, Ausubel et al., infra).

One example of an algorithm that is suitable for determining percent sequence identity and sequence similarity is the BLAST algorithm, which is described in Altschul et al., J. Mol. Biol. 215: 403-410 (1990). Software for performing BLAST analyses is publicly available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information (http://www.ncbi.nlm nih.gov/). This algorithm involves first identifying high scoring sequence pairs (HSPs) by identifying short words of length W in the query sequence, which either match or satisfy some positive-valued threshold score T when aligned with a word of the same length in a database sequence. T is referred to as the neighborhood word score threshold (Altschul et al., 1990). These initial neighborhood word hits act as seeds for initiating searches to find longer HSPs containing them. The word hits are then extended in both directions along each sequence for as far as the cumulative alignment score can be increased. Cumulative scores are calculated using, for nucleotide sequences, the parameters M (reward score for a pair of matching residues; always >0) and N (penalty score for mismatching residues; always <0). For amino acid sequences, a scoring matrix is used to calculate the cumulative score. Extension of the word hits in each direction are halted when the cumulative alignment score falls off by the quantity X from its maximum achieved value, the cumulative score goes to zero or below due to the accumulation of one or more negative-scoring residue alignments, or the end of either sequence is reached. The BLAST algorithm parameters W, T, and X determine the sensitivity and speed of the alignment. The BLASTN program (for nucleotide sequences) uses as defaults a wordlength (W) of 11, an expectation (E) of 10, a cutoff of 100, M=5, N=−4, and a comparison of both strands. For amino acid sequences, the BLASTP program uses as defaults a wordlength (W) of 3, an expectation (E) of 10, and the BLOSUM62 scoring matrix (see Henikoff & Henikoff, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 10915 (1989)).

In addition to calculating percent sequence identity, the BLAST algorithm also performs a statistical analysis of the similarity between two sequences (see, e.g., Karlin & Altschul, Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 5873-5787 (1993)). One measure of similarity provided by the BLAST algorithm is the smallest sum probability (P(N)), which provides an indication of the probability by which a match between two nucleotide or amino acid sequences would occur by chance. For example, a test nucleic acid sequence is considered similar to a reference sequence if the smallest sum probability in a comparison of the test nucleic acid sequence to the reference nucleic acid sequence is less than about 0.1, more preferably less than about 0.01, and most preferably less than about 0.001.

Another widely used and accepted computer program for performing sequence alignments is CLUSTALW v1.6 (Thompson, et al. Nuc. Acids Res., 22: 4673-4680, 1994). The number of matching bases or amino acids is divided by the total number of bases or amino acids, and multiplied by 100 to obtain a percent identity. For example, if two 580 base pair sequences had 145 matched bases, they would be 25 percent identical. If the two compared sequences are of different lengths, the number of matches is divided by the shorter of the two lengths. For example, if there were 100 matched amino acids between a 200 and a 400 amino acid proteins, they are 50 percent identical with respect to the shorter sequence. If the shorter sequence is less than 150 bases or 50 amino acids in length, the number of matches are divided by 150 (for nucleic acid bases) or 50 (for amino acids), and multiplied by 100 to obtain a percent identity.

Another indication that two nucleic acids are substantially identical is that the two molecules hybridize to each other under stringent conditions. The phrase “hybridizing specifically to” refers to the binding, duplexing, or hybridizing of a molecule only to a particular nucleotide sequence under stringent conditions when that sequence is present in a complex mixture (e.g., total cellular) DNA or RNA. “Bind(s) substantially” refers to complementary hybridization between a probe nucleic acid and a target nucleic acid and embraces minor mismatches that can be accommodated by reducing the stringency of the hybridization media to achieve the desired detection of the target nucleic acid sequence.

“Stringent hybridization conditions” and “stringent hybridization wash conditions” in the context of nucleic acid hybridization experiments such as Southern and Northern hybridizations are sequence dependent, and are different under different environmental parameters. Longer sequences hybridize specifically at higher temperatures. An extensive guide to the hybridization of nucleic acids is found in Tijssen (1993) Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-Hybridization with Nucleic Acid Probes part I chapter 2 “Overview of principles of hybridization and the strategy of nucleic acid probe assays” Elsevier, New York. Generally, highly stringent hybridization and wash conditions are selected to be about 5° C. lower than the thermal melting point (T_(m)) for the specific sequence at a defined ionic strength and pH. Typically, under “stringent conditions” a probe will hybridize to its target subsequence, but to no other sequences.

The T_(m) is the temperature (under defined ionic strength and pH) at which 50% of the target sequence hybridizes to a perfectly matched probe. Very stringent conditions are selected to be equal to the T_(m) for a particular probe. An example of stringent hybridization conditions for hybridization of complementary nucleic acids which have more than 100 complementary residues on a filter in a Southern or northern blot is 50% formamide with 1 mg of heparin at 42° C., with the hybridization being carried out overnight. An example of highly stringent wash conditions is 0.1 5M NaCl at 72° C. for about 15 minutes. An example of stringent wash conditions is a 0.2×SSC wash at 65° C. for 15 minutes (see, Sambrook, infra, for a description of SSC buffer). Often, a high stringency wash is preceded by a low stringency wash to remove background probe signal. An example medium stringency wash for a duplex of, e.g., more than 100 nucleotides, is 1×SSC at 45° C. for 15 minutes. An example low stringency wash for a duplex of, e.g., more than 100 nucleotides, is 4-6×SSC at 40° C. for 15 minutes. For short probes (e.g., about 10 to 50 nucleotides), stringent conditions typically involve salt concentrations of less than about 1.0 M Na ion, typically about 0.01 to 1.0 M Na ion concentration (or other salts) at pH 7.0 to 8.3, and the temperature is typically at least about 30° C. Stringent conditions can also be achieved with the addition of destabilizing agents such as formamide. In general, a signal to noise ratio of 2× (or higher) than that observed for an unrelated probe in the particular hybridization assay indicates detection of a specific hybridization. Nucleic acids that do not hybridize to each other under stringent conditions are still substantially identical if the proteins that they encode are substantially identical. This occurs, e.g., when a copy of a nucleic acid is created using the maximum codon degeneracy permitted by the genetic code.

The following are examples of sets of hybridization/wash conditions that may be used to clone homologous nucleotide sequences that are substantially identical to reference nucleotide sequences of the present invention: a reference nucleotide sequence preferably hybridizes to the reference nucleotide sequence in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO₄, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C., more desirably in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO₄, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 1×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C., more desirably still in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO₄, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 0.5×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C., preferably in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO₄, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C., more preferably in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO₄, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 65° C.

A further indication that two nucleic acids or proteins are substantially identical is that the protein encoded by the first nucleic acid is immunologically cross reactive with, or specifically binds to, the protein encoded by the second nucleic acid. Thus, a protein is typically substantially identical to a second protein, for example, where the two proteins differ only by conservative substitutions.

“Insecticidal” is defined as a toxic biological activity capable of controlling insects, preferably by killing them.

A nucleic acid sequence is “isocoding with” a reference nucleic acid sequence when the nucleic acid sequence encodes a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence as the polypeptide encoded by the reference nucleic acid sequence.

An “isolated” nucleic acid molecule or an isolated toxin is a nucleic acid molecule or toxin that, by the hand of man, exists apart from its native environment and is therefore not a product of nature. An isolated nucleic acid molecule or toxin may exist in a purified form or may exist in a non-native environment such as, for example without limitation, a recombinant microbial cell, plant cell, plant tissue, or plant.

A “modified Cry3A toxin” or “Cry3A055” of this invention refers to a Cry3A-derived toxin having at least one additional protease recognition site that is recognized by a gut protease of a target insect, which does not naturally occur in a Cry3A toxin, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,295, herein incorporated by reference.

A “modified cry3A coding sequence” according to this invention can be derived from a native cry3A coding sequence or from a synthetic cry3A coding sequence and comprises the coding sequence of at least one additional protease recognition site that does not naturally occur in an unmodified cry3A gene.

A “nucleic acid molecule” or “nucleic acid sequence” is a segment of single- or double-stranded DNA or RNA that can be isolated from any source. In the context of the present invention, the nucleic acid molecule is typically a segment of DNA.

A “plant” is any plant at any stage of development, particularly a seed plant.

A “plant cell” is a structural and physiological unit of a plant, comprising a protoplast and a cell wall. The plant cell may be in the form of an isolated single cell or a cultured cell, or as a part of a higher organized unit such as, for example, plant tissue, a plant organ, or a whole plant.

“Plant cell culture” means cultures of plant units such as, for example, protoplasts, cell culture cells, cells in plant tissues, pollen, pollen tubes, ovules, embryo sacs, zygotes and embryos at various stages of development.

“Plant material” refers to leaves, stems, roots, flowers or flower parts, fruits, pollen, egg cells, zygotes, seeds, cuttings, cell or tissue cultures, or any other part or product of a plant.

A “plant organ” is a distinct and visibly structured and differentiated part of a plant such as a root, stem, leaf, flower bud, or embryo.

“Plant tissue” as used herein means a group of plant cells organized into a structural and functional unit. Any tissue of a plant in planta or in culture is included. This term includes, but is not limited to, whole plants, plant organs, plant seeds, tissue culture and any groups of plant cells organized into structural and/or functional units. The use of this term in conjunction with, or in the absence of, any specific type of plant tissue as listed above or otherwise embraced by this definition is not intended to be exclusive of any other type of plant tissue.

A “promoter” is an untranslated DNA sequence upstream of the coding region that contains the binding site for RNA polymerase and initiates transcription of the DNA. The promoter region may also include other elements that act as regulators of gene expression.

“Regulatory elements” refer to sequences involved in controlling the expression of a nucleotide sequence. Regulatory elements comprise a promoter operably linked to the nucleotide sequence of interest and termination signals. They also typically encompass sequences required for proper translation of the nucleotide sequence.

“Transformation” is a process for introducing heterologous nucleic acid into a host cell or organism. In particular, “transformation” means the stable integration of a DNA molecule into the genome of an organism of interest.

“Transformed/transgenic/recombinant” refer to a host organism such as a bacterium or a plant into which a heterologous nucleic acid molecule has been introduced. The nucleic acid molecule can be stably integrated into the genome of the host or the nucleic acid molecule can also be present as an extrachromosomal molecule. Such an extrachromosomal molecule can be auto-replicating. Transformed cells, tissues, or plants are understood to encompass not only the end product of a transformation process, but also transgenic progeny thereof. A “non-transformed”, “non-transgenic”, or “non-recombinant” host refers to a wild-type organism, e.g., a bacterium or plant, which does not contain the heterologous nucleic acid molecule.

Nucleotides are indicated by their bases by the following standard abbreviations: adenine (A), cytosine (C), thymine (T), and guanine (G) Amino acids are likewise indicated by the following standard abbreviations: alanine (Ala; A), arginine (Arg; R), asparagine (Asn; N), aspartic acid (Asp; D), cysteine (Cys; C), glutamine (Gln; Q), glutamic acid (Glu; E), glycine (Gly; G), histidine (His; H), isoleucine (Ile; 1), leucine (Leu; L), lysine (Lys; K), methionine (Met; M), phenylalanine (Phe; F), proline (Pro; P), serine (Ser; S), threonine (Thr; T), tryptophan (Trp; W), tyrosine (Tyr; Y), and valine (Val; V).

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to novel engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins (eHIPS), created to have activity against at least western corn rootworm, and may further include northern corn rootworm, Mexican corn rootworm, and/or Colorado potato beetle. Some eHIPs have activity against the lepidopteran pest, European corn borer. Such novel eHIPs are made by fusing unique combinations of complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of at least two different Cry proteins and optionally include a protoxin tail region from a Bt Cry protein at the C-terminus or an N-terminal peptidyl fragment or both. For example, without limitation, by combining complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks from a first Cry protein that has coleopteran activity with complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks from a second Cry protein that has lepidopteran activity and is different from the first Bt Cry protein, and optionally including a protoxin tail region from a Bt Cry protein at the C-terminus or an N-terminal peptidyl fragment or both, new engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins that have activity against a spectrum of insects that is different from the first or second parent Cry protein, or both, is created. Such novel eHIPs may also comprise complete or partial variable regions, conserved blocks or domains from a modified Cry3A protein and a Cry protein different from the modified Cry3A protein. The N-terminal peptidyl fragment or protoxin tail region may confer insecticidal activity upon the eHIP, may increase the insecticidal activity of an eHIP over an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment or protoxin tail region, and/or may make the eHIP more stable than an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment or protoxin tail region, particularly against at least western corn rootworm. The amino acid sequence of the peptidyl fragment typically is heterologous to (i.e. not derived from) a Bt Cry protein. However, based on the teaching disclosed herein, the skilled person will recognize that an N-terminal peptidyl fragment may be generated using an amino acid sequence derived from a Bt Cry protein. The eHIPs of the invention have surprising and unexpected toxicity to corn rootworm, particularly to western, northern and Mexican corn rootworm. The present invention also relates to nucleic acids whose expression results in eHIPs, and to the making and using of the eHIPs to control insect pests. The expression of the nucleic acids results in eHIPs that can be used to control coleopteran insects such as western, northern or Mexican corn rootworm, or used to control lepidopteran insects such as European corn borer, particularly when expressed in a transgenic plant such as a transgenic corn plant.

In one embodiment, the invention encompasses an engineered hybrid insecticidal protein comprising an amino acid sequence from a first Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry protein comprising complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of the first Cry protein fused to an amino acid sequence from a second Bt Cry protein different from the first Bt Cry protein comprising complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of the second Cry protein, and optionally comprising: (a) a protoxin tail region of a Bt Cry protein located at the C-terminus; or (b) an N-terminal peptidyl fragment; or both (a) and (b), wherein the eHIP has activity against at least western corn rootworm.

In another embodiment, the present invention encompasses an eHIP comprising an N-terminal region of a first Bt Cry protein fused to a C-terminal region of a second Bt Cry protein different from the first Bt Cry protein, wherein at least one crossover position between the first and the second Bt Cry protein is located in conserved block 2, conserved block 3, variable region 4 or conserved block 4, and optionally comprising: (a) a protoxin tail region of a Bt Cry protein located at the C-terminus; or (b) an N-terminal peptidyl fragment; or both (a) and (b), wherein the eHIP has insecticidal activity against at least western corn rootworm.

In another embodiment, an eHIP according to the invention comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus variable region 1 or a C-terminal portion of variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and an N-terminal portion of conserved block 3 of a first Bt Cry protein fused to a C-terminal portion of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6 of a second Bt Cry protein.

In another embodiment, an eHIP of the invention comprises at least two crossover positions between an amino acid sequence from the first Bt Cry protein and an amino acid sequence from the second Bt Cry protein. In one embodiment, a first crossover position is located in conserved block 2 and a second crossover position is located in conserved block 3. In another embodiment, a first crossover junction is located in conserved block 3 and a second crossover position is located in conserved block 4.

In another embodiment, an eHIP of the invention comprises at the C-terminus a protoxin tail region of a Bt Cry protein. The protoxin tail region may confer insecticidal activity upon the eHIP, meaning that without the protoxin tail region the eHIP would not be active, may increase activity of the eHIP over an eHIP without the protoxin tail region, or may make the eHIP more stable than an eHIP without the protoxin tail region. In one embodiment, the protoxin tail region is from a lepidopteran active Bt Cry protein. In another embodiment, the protoxin tail region is from a Cry1A protein. In yet another embodiment, the protoxin tail region is from a Cry1 Aa or a Cry1 Ab protein. The protoxin tail region of the invention may comprise an entire protoxin tail of a Bt Cry protein or any fragment thereof. In one aspect of this embodiment, the protoxin tail region of an eHIP comprises at least 38 amino acids from the N-terminus of a protoxin tail of a Cry1Ab protein. In another aspect of this embodiment, the protoxin tail region comprises an amino acid sequence corresponding to amino acids 611-648 of SEQ ID NO: 72. In still another aspect of this embodiment, the protoxin tail region comprises amino acids 611-648 of SEQ ID NO: 72.

In still another embodiment, an eHIP comprises an N-terminal peptidyl fragment. The N-terminal peptidyl fragment may confer insecticidal activity upon the eHIP, meaning that without the N-terminal peptidyl fragment the protein does not have insecticidal activity, or the N-terminal peptidyl fragment may increase the insecticidal activity of the eHIP over an eHIP without the N-terminal peptidyl fragment, or the N-terminal peptidyl fragment may make the eHIP more stable than an eHIP without an N-terminal peptidyl fragment. In one aspect of this embodiment, the peptidyl fragment comprises an amino acid sequence that is heterologous to (i.e. not derived from) a Bt Cry protein. In another aspect of this embodiment, the N-terminal peptidyl fragment comprises at lest 9 amino acids. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, the peptidyl fragment comprises at least 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 70, 80, 90 or 100 amino acids. In another aspect of this embodiment, the peptidyl fragment comprises greater than 100 amino acids. In still another aspect of this embodiment, the N-terminal peptidyl fragment comprises the amino acid sequence YDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 133) or TSNGRQCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 134). In yet another aspect of this embodiment, the N-terminal peptidyl fragment comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 126, SEQ ID NO: 127, SEQ ID NO: 128, SEQ ID NO: 129, SEQ ID NO: 130, SEQ ID NO: 131, and SEQ ID NO: 132.

In yet another embodiment, the variable regions and conserved blocks of a first Cry protein active against coleopteran insects are used to make the eHIP of the invention in combination with variable regions and conserved blocks of a second Cry protein active against a lepidopteran insect. Coleopteran active Cry proteins include but are not limited to Cry3, Cry7, Cry8, and Cry34/Cry35. The lepidopteran active Cry proteins include but are not limited to Cry1 and Cry9. In one aspect of this embodiment, the first Cry protein is a Cry3A and the second Cry protein is a Cry1A. In another aspect, the Cry3A protein can be replaced with a modified Cry3A, for example without limitation, the Cry3A055 protein disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,123, which is herein incorporated by reference. In still another aspect of this embodiment, the Cry3A protein is a Cry3Aa and the Cry1A protein is a Cry1Aa or a Cry1Ab. In another aspect of this embodiment, the Cry3Aa is selected from the following group and has the indicated GenBank Accession Number: Cry3Aa1 (M22472), Cry3Aa2 (J02978), Cry3Aa3 (Y00420), Cry3Aa4 (M30503), Cry3Aa5 (M37207), Cry3Aa6 (U10985), Cry3Aa7 (AJ237900), Cry3Aa8 (AAS79487), Cry3Aa9 (AAW05659), Cry3Aa10 (AAU29411), and Cry3Aa11 (AY882576). In another aspect of this embodiment the Cry1Aa is selected from the following group and has the indicated GenBank Accession Number: Cry1Aa1 (M11250), Cry1Aa2 (M10917), Cry1Aa3 (D00348), Cry1Aa4 (X13535), Cry1Aa5 (D17518), Cry1Aa6 (U43605), Cry1Aa7 (AF081790), Cry1Aa8 (126149), Cry1Aa9 (AB026261), Cry1Aa10 (AF154676), Cry1Aa11 (Y09663), Cry1Aa12 (AF384211), Cry1Aa13 (AF510713), Cry1Aa14(AY197341), and Cry1Aa15 (DQ062690). In still another aspect of this embodiment, the Cry1Ab is selected from the following group and has the indicated GenBank Accession Number: Cry1Ab1 (M13898), Cry1Ab2 (M12661), Cry1Ab3 (M15271), Cry1Ab4 (D00117), Cry1Ab5 (X04698), Cry1Ab6 (M37263), Cry1Ab7 (X13233), Cry1Ab8 (M16463), Cry1Ab9 (X54939), Cry1Ab10 (A29125), Cry1Ab11 (112419), Cry1Ab12 (AF059670), Cry1Ab13 (AF254640), Cry1Ab14 (U94191), Cry1Ab15 (AF358861), Cry1Ab16 (AF37560), Cry1Ab17 (AAT46415), Cry1Ab18 (AAQ88259), Cry1Ab19 (AY847289), Cry1Ab20 (DQ241675), Cry1Ab21 (EF683163), and Cry1Ab22 (ABW87320). In yet another aspect of this embodiment, the first Cry protein comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 68, SEQ ID NO: 70, and SEQ ID NO: 135, and the second Cry protein comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 72.

In one embodiment, the present invention encompasses an eHIP of the invention comprising at least one crossover position between the N-terminal region of the first Cry protein and the C-terminal region of the second Cry protein located in conserved block 3, variable region 4, or conserved block 4. In one aspect of this embodiment, the crossover position in conserved block 3 is located immediately following an amino acid corresponding to Ser451, Phe454, or Leu468 of SEQ ID NO: 70. In another aspect of this embodiment, the crossover position is located in conserved block 3 immediately following Ser451, Phe454, or Leu468 of SEQ ID: 70 or Ser450, Phe453, or Leu467 of SEQ ID NO: 68; or Ser497, Phe100, Leu114 of SEQ ID NO: 135. The crossover positions in certain Cry3A/Cry1Ab eHIP embodiments or modified Cry3A/Cry1Ab eHIP embodiments according to the invention are indicated on FIG. 2, which indicates percent identity.

In another embodiment, an eHIP of the invention comprises at least two crossover positions between an amino acid sequence from a first Bt Cry protein and an amino acid sequence from the second Bt Cry protein. In one aspect of this embodiment, a crossover position between a Cry3A or modified Cry3A and a Cry1Ab or a Cry1Aa is located in conserved block 2 immediately following an amino acid corresponding to Asp232 of SEQ ID NO: 70 and a second crossover position between Cry1Ab and Cry3A or modified Cry3A is located in conserved block 3 immediately following an amino acid corresponding to Leu476 of SEQ ID NO: 72. In another aspect of this embodiment, a crossover position between a Cry3A or modified Cry3A and a Cry1Ab or a Cry1Aa is located in conserved block 2 immediately following Asp232 of SEQ ID NO: 70, or Asp231 of SEQ ID NO: 68, or Asp278 of SEQ ID NO: 135, and a second crossover position between Cry1Ab and Cry3A or modified Cry3A is located in conserved block 3 immediately following Leu476 of SEQ ID NO: 72.

In still another aspect of this embodiment, a first crossover position between a Cry3A or modified Cry3A and a Cry1Ab is located in conserved block 3 immediately following an amino acid corresponding to Leu468 of SEQ ID NO: 70 and a second crossover position between a Cry1Ab and a Cry3A or modified Cry3A is located in conserved block 4 immediately following an amino acid corresponding to Ile527 of SEQ ID NO: 72. In another aspect of this embodiment, the first crossover position between a Cry3A or modified Cry3Aa and a Cry1Ab is located in conserved block 3 immediately following an Leu468 of SEQ ID NO: 70, or Leu467 of SEQ ID NO: 68, or Leu114 of SEQ ID NO: 135, and the second crossover position between a Cry1Ab and a Cry3A or modified Cry3A is located in conserved block 4 immediately following Ile527 of SEQ ID NO: 72. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, the eHIP comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 28 or SEQ ID NO: 34.

In one embodiment, the present invention encompasses an eHIP wherein the first Cry protein is a Cry3A or a modified Cry3A and the second Cry protein is a Cry1Aa or Cry1Ab and wherein the eHIP comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% identity to SEQ OD NO: 64. In another embodiment the eHIP comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 64. An alignment of certain eHIP embodiments of the invention with SEQ ID NO: 64 is shown in FIG. 2, which indicates percent identity.

In another embodiment, the present invention encompasses an eHIP wherein the first Cry protein is a Cry3A or a modified Cry3A and the second Cry protein is a Cry1Aa or Cry1Ab and wherein the eHIP comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 75% identity to SEQ OD NO: 70. In another embodiment the eHIP comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 70. An alignment of certain eHIP embodiments of the invention with SEQ ID NO: 70 is shown in FIG. 1, which indicates percent identity.

In another embodiment, the present invention encompasses an eHIP having a first crossover position between Cry3A or modified Cry3A and Cry1Aa or Cry1Ab in conserved block 2 and a second crossover position between Cry1Aa or Cry1Ab and Cry3A or modified Cry3A in conserved block 3 and wherein the eHIP comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 56% identity to SEQ OD NO: 64. In one aspect of this embodiment, the eHIP has at least 60, 70 or 80% identity to SEQ ID NO: 64. In another aspect of this embodiment, the eHIP has at least 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% identity to SEQ ID NO: 64.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention encompasses an eHIP comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 8, SEQ ID NO: 10, SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 16, SEQ ID NO: 18, SEQ ID NO: 22, SEQ ID NO: 24, SEQ ID NO: 30, SEQ ID NO: 34, SEQ ID NO: 62; SEQ ID NO: 64, SEQ ID NO: 147, SEQ ID NO: 153, SEQ ID NO: 155, SEQ ID NO: 159 and SEQ ID NO: 160.

In one embodiment, the eHIPs of the invention have activity against other insect pests including but not limited to northern corn rootworm, Mexican corn rootworm, Colorado potato beetle, and/or European corn borer.

In another embodiment, the present invention encompasses a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an eHIP of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 7, SEQ ID NO: 9, SEQ ID NO: 11, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO: 17, SEQ ID NO: 21, SEQ ID NO: 23, SEQ ID NO: 29, SEQ ID NO: 33, SEQ ID NO: 61; SEQ ID NO: 63, SEQ ID NO: 146, SEQ ID NO: 152, SEQ ID NO: 154 and SEQ ID NO: 158. Specifically exemplified teachings of methods to make nucleic acid molecules that encode eHIPs can be found in Examples 1-41. Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications can be made to the exemplified methods to make eHIPs encompassed by the present invention.

The present invention further encompasses expression cassettes comprising the nucleic acid molecules, and recombinant vectors and transgenic non-human host cells, such as bacterial cells or plant cells, comprising the expression cassettes of the invention.

The present invention also encompasses recombinant vectors comprising the nucleic acids of this invention. In such vectors, the nucleic acids are preferably comprised in expression cassettes comprising regulatory elements for expression of the nucleotide sequences in a host cell capable of expressing the nucleotide sequences. Such regulatory elements usually comprise promoter and termination signals and preferably also comprise elements allowing efficient translation of polypeptides encoded by the nucleic acids of the present invention. Vectors comprising the nucleic acids are may be capable of replication in particular host cells, preferably as extrachromosomal molecules, and are therefore used to amplify the nucleic acids of this invention in the host cells. In one embodiment, host cells for such vectors are microorganisms, such as bacteria, in particular Bacillus thuringiensis or E. coli. In another embodiment, host cells for such recombinant vectors are endophytes or epiphytes. In yet another embodiment, such vectors are viral vectors and are used for replication of the nucleotide sequences in particular host cells, e.g. insect cells or plant cells. Recombinant vectors are also used for transformation of the nucleotide sequences of this invention into host cells, whereby the nucleotide sequences are stably integrated into the DNA of a transgenic host. In one embodiment, the transgenic host is plant such as corn plant.

The eHIPs of the present invention have insect control activity when tested against insect pests in bioassays. In one embodiment, the eHIPs of the invention are active against coleopteran insects or lepidopteran insects or both. In one aspect of this embodiment, the eHIPs of the invention are active against western corn rootworm, northern corn rootworm, Mexican corn rootworm and/or Colorado potato beetle. In another aspect of this embodiment, the eHIPs of the invention are active against European corn borer. The insect controlling properties of the eHIPs of the invention are further illustrated in Examples 43, 45 and 46.

The present invention also encompasses a composition comprising an effective insect-controlling amount of an eHIP according to the invention.

In another embodiment, the invention encompasses a method of producing a eHIP that is active against insects, comprising: (a) obtaining a host cell comprising a gene, which itself comprises a heterologous promoter sequence operatively linked to a nucleic acid molecule of the invention; and (b) growing the transgenic host cell in such a manner to express an eHIP that is active against insects.

In yet another embodiment, the invention encompasses a method of producing an insect-resistant transgenic plant, comprising introducing a nucleic acid molecule of the invention into the transgenic plant, wherein the nucleic acid molecule causes the expression of an eHIP in the transgenic plant in an effective amount to control insects. In one aspect of this embodiment, the insects are coleopteran insects or lepidopteran insects. In another aspect of this embodiment, the coleopteran insects are western corn rootworm, northern corn rootworm, Mexican corn rootworm and/or Colorado potato beetle. In still another aspect of this embodiment, the lepidopteran insects are European corn borer.

In yet a further embodiment, the invention encompasses a method of controlling insects, comprising delivering to the insects an effective amount of an eHIP of the invention. In one aspect of this embodiment, the insects are coleopteran insects or lepidopteran insects. In another aspect of this embodiment, the coleopteran insects are western corn rootworm, northern corn rootworm, Mexican corn rootworm and/or Colorado potato beetle. In still another aspect of this embodiment, the lepidopteran insects are European corn borer. Typically, the eHIP is delivered to the insects orally. In one aspect, the eHIP is delivered orally through a transgenic plant comprising a nucleic acid sequence that expresses an eHIP of the present invention.

The present invention further encompasses a method of controlling insects wherein the transgenic plant further comprises a second nucleic acid molecule or groups of nucleic acid molecules that encode a second pesticidal principle. Examples of such second nucleic acids are those that encode a Bt Cry protein, those that encode a Vegetative Insecticidal Protein, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,849,870 and 5,877,012, incorporated herein by reference, or those that encode a pathway for the production of a non-proteinaceous principle.

The present invention also encompasses a method of making an engineered hybrid insecticidal protein (eHIP), comprising: (a) obtaining a first Bt Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein; (b) obtaining a second Bt Cry protein which is different from the first Bt Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein; (c) combining complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of the first Bt Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein with complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of the second Bt Cry protein to make an eHIP that has activity against at least western corn rootworm; and optionally (d) inserting a peptidyl fragment at the N-terminus or a protoxin tail region of a Bt Cry protein at the C-terminus of the eHIP, or both, wherein the N-terminal peptidyl fragment or the C-terminal protoxin region or both confers activity upon the eHIP, or increases the insecticidal activity of the eHIP or makes the eHIP more stable than an eHIP without the peptidyl fragment or protoxin tail region or both.

In another embodiment, the present invention encompasses a method of making an engineered hybrid insecticidal protein (eHIP) comprising: (a) obtaining a first nucleic acid encoding a first Bt Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein and a second nucleic acid encoding a second Cry protein different from the first Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein; (b) isolating from the first and second nucleic acids, a nucleotide sequence that encodes complete or partial variable regions and conserved blocks of the first Bt Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein and the second Bt Cry protein; (c) connecting together the resulting isolated nucleic acids of step (b) in such a way as to make a new hybrid nucleic acid that encodes a protein, and optionally fusing to a 5′ end of said hybrid nucleic acid a nucleic acid that encodes a peptidyl fragment resulting in a 5′ extension or fusing to a 3′ end of said hybrid nucleic acid a nucleic acid that encodes a protoxin tail region of a Bt Cry protein resulting in a 3′ extension, or both; (d) inserting the hybrid nucleic acid with or without one or both of the 5′ or 3′ extensions into an expression cassette; (e) transforming the expression cassette into a host cell, resulting in said host cell producing an eHIP; and (f) bioassaying the eHIP against at least western corn rootworm, which results in insecticidal activity against western corn rootworm.

In further embodiments of the methods of the invention, the first Bt Cry protein or modified Bt Cry protein is a Cry3A or modified Cry3A and the second Bt Cry protein is A Cry1 Aa or Cry1 Ab.

In another embodiment of the methods of the invention, the N-terminal peptidyl fragment comprises at 9 amino acids. In one aspect of this embodiment the N-terminal peptidyl fragment comprises the amino acid sequence YDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 132) or the amino acid sequence TSNGRQCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 133). In another aspect of this embodiment the N-terminal peptidyl fragment is selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 126, SEQ ID NO: 127, SEQ ID NO: 128, SEQ ID NO: 129, SEQ ID NO: 130, SEQ ID NO: 131, and SEQ ID NO: 132.

In still another embodiment of the methods of the invention, the protoxin tail region is from a Cry1 Aa or Cry1 Ab. In one aspect of this embodiment, the protoxin tail region comprises at least 38 amino aacids. In another aspect of this embodiment, the protoxin tail region comprises an amino acid sequence that corresponds to amino acids 611-648 of SEQ ID NO: 72. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, the protoxin tail region comprises amino acids 611-648 of SEQ ID NO: 72.

Specifically exemplified teachings of the methods of making the hybrid nucleic acids and the eHIPs of the invention can be found in Examples 1-41.

In further embodiments, the nucleotide sequences of the invention, particularly a sequence encoding the peptidyl fragment, the protoxin tail, and/or conserved blocks 2, 3, and 4, can be further modified by incorporation of random mutations in a technique known as in vitro recombination or DNA shuffling. This technique is described in Stemmer et al., Nature 370:389-391 (1994) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,793, which are incorporated herein by reference. Millions of mutant copies of a nucleotide sequence are produced based on an original nucleotide sequence of this invention and variants with improved properties, such as increased insecticidal activity, enhanced stability, or different specificity or ranges of target-insect pests are recovered. The method encompasses forming a mutagenized double-stranded polynucleotide from a template double-stranded polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence of this invention, wherein the template double-stranded polynucleotide has been cleaved into double-stranded-random fragments of a desired size, and comprises the steps of adding to the resultant population of double-stranded random fragments one or more single or double-stranded oligonucleotides, wherein said oligonucleotides comprise an area of identity and an area of heterology to the double-stranded template polynucleotide; denaturing the resultant mixture of double-stranded random fragments and oligonucleotides into single-stranded fragments; incubating the resultant population of single-stranded fragments with a polymerase under conditions which result in the annealing of said single-stranded fragments at said areas of identity to form pairs of annealed fragments, said areas of identity being sufficient for one member of a pair to prime replication of the other, thereby forming a mutagenized double-stranded polynucleotide; and repeating the second and third steps for at least two further cycles, wherein the resultant mixture in the second step of a further cycle includes the mutagenized double-stranded polynucleotide from the third step of the previous cycle, and the further cycle forms a further mutagenized double-stranded polynucleotide. In a preferred embodiment, the concentration of a single species of double-stranded random fragment in the population of double-stranded random fragments is less than 1% by weight of the total DNA. In a further preferred embodiment, the template double-stranded polynucleotide comprises at least about 100 species of polynucleotides. In another preferred embodiment, the size of the double-stranded random fragments is from about 5 bp to 5 kb. In a further preferred embodiment, the fourth step of the method comprises repeating the second and the third steps for at least 10 cycles.

As biological insect control agents, the eHIPs are produced by expression of the nucleic acids in heterologous host cells capable of expressing the nucleic acids. In one embodiment, B. thuringiensis cells comprising modifications of a nucleic acid of this invention are made. Such modifications encompass mutations or deletions of existing regulatory elements, thus leading to altered expression of the nucleic acid, or the incorporation of new regulatory elements controlling the expression of the nucleic acid. In another embodiment, additional copies of one or more of the nucleic acids are added to Bacillus thuringiensis cells either by insertion into the chromosome or by introduction of extrachromosomally replicating molecules containing the nucleic acids.

In another embodiment, at least one of the nucleic acids of the invention is inserted into an appropriate expression cassette, comprising a promoter and termination signal. Expression of the nucleic acid is constitutive, or an inducible promoter responding to various types of stimuli to initiate transcription is used. In another embodiment, the cell in which the eHIP is expressed is a microorganism, such as a virus, bacteria, or a fungus. In yet another embodiment, a virus, such as a baculovirus, contains a nucleic acid of the invention in its genome and expresses large amounts of the corresponding insecticidal protein after infection of appropriate eukaryotic cells that are suitable for virus replication and expression of the nucleic acid. The insecticidal protein thus produced is used as an insecticidal agent. Alternatively, baculoviruses engineered to include the nucleic acid are used to infect insects in vivo and kill them either by expression of the insecticidal toxin or by a combination of viral infection and expression of the insecticidal toxin.

Bacterial cells are also hosts for the expression of the nucleic acids of the invention. In one embodiment, non-pathogenic symbiotic bacteria, which are able to live and replicate within plant tissues, so-called endophytes, or non-pathogenic symbiotic bacteria, which are capable of colonizing the phyllosphere or the rhizosphere, so-called epiphytes, are used. Such bacteria include bacteria of the genera Agrobacterium, Alcaligenes, Azospirillum, Azotobacter, Bacillus, Clavibacter, Enterobacter, Erwinia, Flavobacter, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Rhizobium, Serratia, Streptomyces and Xanthomonas. Symbiotic fungi, such as Trichoderma and Gliocladium are also possible hosts for expression of the inventive nucleic acids for the same purpose.

Techniques for these genetic manipulations are specific for the different available hosts and are known in the art. For example, the expression vectors pKK223-3 and pKK223-2 can be used to express heterologous genes in E. coli, either in transcriptional or translational fusion, behind the tac or trc promoter. For the expression of operons encoding multiple ORFs, the simplest procedure is to insert the operon into a vector such as pKK223-3 in transcriptional fusion, allowing the cognate ribosome binding site of the heterologous genes to be used. Techniques for overexpression in gram-positive species such as Bacillus are also known in the art and can be used in the context of this invention (Quax et al. In: Industrial Microorganisms: Basic and Applied Molecular Genetics, Eds. Baltz et al., American Society for Microbiology, Washington (1993)). Alternate systems for overexpression rely for example, on yeast vectors and include the use of Pichia, Saccharomyces and Kluyveromyces (Sreekrishna, In: Industrial microorganisms: basic and applied molecular genetics, Baltz, Hegeman, and Skatrud eds., American Society for Microbiology, Washington (1993); Dequin & Barre, Biotechnology L2:173-177 (1994); van den Berg et al., Biotechnology 8:135-139 (1990)).

In one embodiment, at least one of the eHIPs of the invention is expressed in a higher organism such as a plant. In this case, transgenic plants expressing effective amounts of the eHIP protect themselves from insect pests. When the insect starts feeding on such a transgenic plant, it also ingests the expressed eHIP. This will deter the insect from further biting into the plant tissue or may even harm or kill the insect. A nucleic acid of the present invention is inserted into an expression cassette, which may then be stably integrated in the genome of the plant. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid is included in a non-pathogenic self-replicating virus. Plants transformed in accordance with the present invention may be monocots or dicots and include, but are not limited to, corn, wheat, barley, rye, sweet potato, bean, pea, chicory, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, radish, spinach, asparagus, onion, garlic, pepper, celery, squash, pumpkin, hemp, zucchini, apple, pear, quince, melon, plum, cherry, peach, nectarine, apricot, strawberry, grape, raspberry, blackberry, pineapple, avocado, papaya, mango, banana, soybean, tomato, sorghum, sugarcane, sugar beet, sunflower, rapeseed, clover, tobacco, carrot, cotton, alfalfa, rice, potato, eggplant, cucumber, Arabidopsis, and woody plants such as coniferous and deciduous trees.

Once a desired nucleic acid has been transformed into a particular plant species, it may be propagated in that species or moved into other varieties of the same species, particularly including commercial varieties, using traditional breeding techniques.

A nucleic acid of this invention is preferably expressed in transgenic plants, thus causing the biosynthesis of the corresponding eHIP in the transgenic plants. In this way, transgenic plants with enhanced resistance to insects, particularly corn rootworm, are generated. For their expression in transgenic plants, the nucleic acids of the invention may require other modifications and optimization. Although in many cases genes from microbial organisms can be expressed in plants at high levels without modification, low expression in transgenic plants may result from microbial nucleic acids having codons that are not preferred in plants. It is known in the art that all organisms have specific preferences for codon usage, and the codons of the nucleic acids described in this invention can be changed to conform with plant preferences, while maintaining the amino acids encoded thereby. Furthermore, high expression in plants is best achieved from coding sequences that have at least about 35% GC content, preferably more than about 45%, more preferably more than about 50%, and most preferably more than about 60%. Microbial nucleic acids that have low GC contents may express poorly in plants due to the existence of ATTTA motifs that may destabilize messages, and AATAAA motifs that may cause inappropriate polyadenylation. Although preferred gene sequences may be adequately expressed in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant species, sequences can be modified to account for the specific codon preferences and GC content preferences of monocotyledons or dicotyledons as these preferences have been shown to differ (Murray et al. Nucl. Acids Res. 17:477-498 (1989)). In addition, the nucleic acids are screened for the existence of illegitimate splice sites that may cause message truncation. All changes required to be made within the nucleic acids such as those described above are made using well known techniques of site directed mutagenesis, PCR, and synthetic gene construction using the methods described in the published patent applications EP 0 385 962, EP 0 359 472, and WO 93/07278.

In one embodiment of the invention an eHIP coding sequence and/or a parent Bt Cry protein coding sequence is/are made according to the procedure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,136, herein incorporated by reference. In this procedure, maize preferred codons, i.e., the single codon that most frequently encodes that amino acid in maize, are used. The maize preferred codon for a particular amino acid might be derived, for example, from known gene sequences from maize. Maize codon usage for 28 genes from maize plants is found in Murray et al., Nucleic Acids Research 17:477-498 (1989), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

In this manner, the nucleotide sequences can be optimized for expression in any plant. It is recognized that all or any part of the gene sequence may be optimized or synthetic. That is, synthetic or partially optimized sequences may also be used.

For efficient initiation of translation, sequences adjacent to the initiating methionine may require modification. For example, they can be modified by the inclusion of sequences known to be effective in plants. Joshi has suggested an appropriate consensus for plants (NAR 15:6643-6653 (1987)) and Clonetech suggests a further consensus translation initiator (1993/1994 catalog, page 210). These consensuses are suitable for use with the nucleic acids of this invention. The sequences are incorporated into constructions comprising the nucleic acids, up to and including the ATG (whilst leaving the second amino acid unmodified), or alternatively up to and including the GTC subsequent to the ATG (with the possibility of modifying the second amino acid of the transgene).

Expression of the nucleic acids in transgenic plants is driven by promoters that function in plants. The choice of promoter will vary depending on the temporal and spatial requirements for expression, and also depending on the target species. Thus, expression of the nucleic acids of this invention in leaves, in stalks or stems, in ears, in inflorescences (e.g. spikes, panicles, cobs, etc.), in roots, and/or seedlings is preferred. In many cases, however, protection against more than one type of insect pest is sought, and thus expression in multiple tissues is desirable. Although many promoters from dicotyledons have been shown to be operational in monocotyledons and vice versa, ideally dicotyledonous promoters are selected for expression in dicotyledons, and monocotyledonous promoters for expression in monocotyledons. However, there is no restriction to the provenance of selected promoters; it is sufficient that they are operational in driving the expression of the nucleic acids in the desired cell.

In one embodiment promoters are used that are expressed constitutively including the actin or ubiquitin or cmp promoters or the CaMV 35S and 19S promoters. The nucleic acids of this invention can also be expressed under the regulation of promoters that are chemically regulated. This enables the eHIPs to be synthesized only when the crop plants are treated with the inducing chemicals. Preferred technology for chemical induction of gene expression is detailed in the published application EP 0 332 104 (to Ciba-Geigy) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,395. A preferred promoter for chemical induction is the tobacco PR-1a promoter.

In another embodiment a category of promoters which is wound inducible can be used. Numerous promoters have been described which are expressed at wound sites and also at the sites of phytopathogen infection. Ideally, such a promoter should only be active locally at the sites of infection, and in this way the eHIPs only accumulate in cells that need to synthesize the eHIPs to kill the invading insect pest. Preferred promoters of this kind include those described by Stanford et al. Mol. Gen. Genet. 215:200-208 (1989), Xu et al. Plant Molec. Biol. 22:573-588 (1993), Logemann et al. Plant Cell 1:151-158 (1989), Rohrmeier & Lehle, Plant Molec. Biol. 22:783-792 (1993), Firek et al. Plant Molec. Biol. 22:129-142 (1993), and Warner et al. Plant J. 3:191-201 (1993).

Tissue-specific or tissue-preferential promoters useful for the expression of genes encoding eHIPs in plants, particularly corn, are those which direct expression in root, pith, leaf or pollen, particularly root. Such promoters, e.g. those isolated from PEPC or trpA, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,136, or MTL, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,785. Both U. S. patents are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Further embodiments are transgenic plants expressing the nucleic acids in a wound-inducible or pathogen infection-inducible manner.

In addition to promoters, a variety of transcriptional terminators are also available for use in hybrid nucleic acid construction using the eHIP genes of the present invention. Transcriptional terminators are responsible for the termination of transcription beyond the transgene and its correct polyadenylation. Appropriate transcriptional terminators and those that are known to function in plants include the CaMV 35S terminator, the tml terminator, the nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator, the pea rbcS E9 terminator and others known in the art. These can be used in both monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Any available terminator known to function in plants can be used in the context of this invention.

Numerous other sequences can be incorporated into expression cassettes described in this invention. These include sequences that have been shown to enhance expression such as intron sequences (e.g. from Adhl and bronzel) and viral leader sequences (e.g. from TMV, MCMV and AMV).

It may be preferable to target expression of the nucleic acids of the present invention to different cellular localizations in the plant. In some cases, localization in the cytosol may be desirable, whereas in other cases, localization in some subcellular organelle may be preferred. Subcellular localization of transgene-encoded enzymes is undertaken using techniques well known in the art. Typically, the DNA encoding the target peptide from a known organelle-targeted gene product is manipulated and fused upstream of the nucleic acid. Many such target sequences are known for the chloroplast and their functioning in heterologous constructions has been shown. The expression of the nucleic acids of the present invention is also targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum or to the vacuoles of the host cells. Techniques to achieve this are well known in the art.

Vectors suitable for plant transformation are described elsewhere in this specification. For Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, binary vectors or vectors carrying at least one T-DNA border sequence are suitable, whereas for direct gene transfer any vector is suitable and linear DNA containing only the construction of interest may be preferred. In the case of direct gene transfer, transformation with a single DNA species or co-transformation can be used (Schocher et al. Biotechnology 4:1093-1096 (1986)). For both direct gene transfer and Agrobacterium-mediated transfer, transformation is usually (but not necessarily) undertaken with a selectable marker that may provide resistance to an antibiotic (kanamycin, hygromycin or methotrexate) or a herbicide (basta). Plant transformation vectors comprising the eHIP genes of the present invention may also comprise genes (e.g. phosphomannose isomerase; PMI) which provide for positive selection of the transgenic plants as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,767,378 and 5,994,629, herein incorporated by reference. The choice of selectable marker is not, however, critical to the invention.

In another embodiment, a nucleic acid of the present invention is directly transformed into the plastid genome. A major advantage of plastid transformation is that plastids are generally capable of expressing bacterial genes without substantial codon optimization, and plastids are capable of expressing multiple open reading frames under control of a single promoter. Plastid transformation technology is extensively described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,451,513, 5,545,817, and 5,545,818, in PCT application no. WO 95/16783, and in McBride et al. (1994) Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 7301-7305. The basic technique for chloroplast transformation involves introducing regions of cloned plastid DNA flanking a selectable marker together with the gene of interest into a suitable target tissue, e.g., using biolistics or protoplast transformation (e.g., calcium chloride or PEG mediated transformation). The 1 to 1.5 kb flanking regions, termed targeting sequences, facilitate homologous recombination with the plastid genome and thus allow the replacement or modification of specific regions of the plastome. Initially, point mutations in the chloroplast 16S rRNA and rps12 genes conferring resistance to spectinomycin and/or streptomycin are utilized as selectable markers for transformation (Svab, Z., Hajdukiewicz, P., and Maliga, P. (1990) Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 8526-8530; Staub, J. M., and Maliga, P. (1992) Plant Cell 4, 39-45). This resulted in stable homoplasmic transformants at a frequency of approximately one per 100 bombardments of target leaves. The presence of cloning sites between these markers allowed creation of a plastid targeting vector for introduction of foreign genes (Staub, J. M., and Maliga, P. (1993) EMBO J. 12, 601-606). Substantial increases in transformation frequency are obtained by replacement of the recessive rRNA or r-protein antibiotic resistance genes with a dominant selectable marker, the bacterial aadA gene encoding the spectinomycin-detoxifying enzyme aminoglycoside-3′-adenyltransf erase (Svab, Z., and Maliga, P. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 913-917). Previously, this marker had been used successfully for high-frequency transformation of the plastid genome of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Goldschmidt-Clermont, M. (1991) Nucl. Acids Res. 19:4083-4089). Other selectable markers useful for plastid transformation are known in the art and encompassed within the scope of the invention. Typically, approximately 15-20 cell division cycles following transformation are required to reach a homoplastidic state. Plastid expression, in which genes are inserted by homologous recombination into all of the several thousand copies of the circular plastid genome present in each plant cell, takes advantage of the enormous copy number advantage over nuclear-expressed genes to permit expression levels that can readily exceed 10% of the total soluble plant protein. In a preferred embodiment, a nucleic acid of the present invention is inserted into a plastid-targeting vector and transformed into the plastid genome of a desired plant host. Plants homoplastic for plastid genomes containing a nucleic acid of the present invention are obtained, and are preferentially capable of high expression of the nucleic acid.

The eHIPs of the invention can be used in combination with other pesticidal principles (e.g. Bt Cry proteins) to increase pest target range. Furthermore, the use of the eHIPs of the invention in combination with modified Cry3A toxins, Bt Cry proteins, or other CRW-active principles, such as an RNAi, which have a different mode of action or target a different receptor in the insect gut, has particular utility for the prevention and/or management of corn rootworm resistance. Other insecticidal principles include, but are not limited to, lectins, α-amylase, peroxidase, and cholesterol oxidase. Vip genes, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,174 and herein incorporated by reference, are also useful in combination with the eHIPs of the present invention.

This co-expression of more than one insecticidal principle in the same transgenic plant can be achieved by making a single recombinant vector comprising coding sequences of more than one insecticidal principle in a so called molecular stack and genetically engineering a plant to contain and express all the insecticidal principles in the transgenic plant. Such molecular stacks may be also be made by using mini-chromosomes as described, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,235,716. Alternatively, a transgenic plant comprising one nucleic acid encoding a first insecticidal principle can be re-transformed with a different nucleic acid encoding a second insecticidal principle and so forth. Alternatively, a plant, Parent 1, can be genetically engineered for the expression of genes of the present invention. A second plant, Parent 2, can be genetically engineered for the expression of a supplemental insect control principle. By crossing Parent 1 with Parent 2, progeny plants are obtained which express all the genes introduced into Parents 1 and 2.

Transgenic seed of the present invention can also be treated with an insecticidal seed coating as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,849,320 and 5,876,739, herein incorporated by reference. Where both the insecticidal seed coating and the transgenic seed of the invention are active against the same target insect, the combination is useful (i) in a method for enhancing activity of a eHIP of the invention against the target insect and (ii) in a method for preventing development of resistance to a eHIP of the invention by providing a second mechanism of action against the target insect. Thus, the invention provides a method of enhancing activity against or preventing development of resistance in a target insect, for example corn rootworm, comprising applying an insecticidal seed coating to a transgenic seed comprising one or more eHIPs of the invention.

Even where the insecticidal seed coating is active against a different insect, the insecticidal seed coating is useful to expand the range of insect control, for example by adding an insecticidal seed coating that has activity against lepidopteran insects to the transgenic seed of the invention, which has activity against coleopteran insects, the coated transgenic seed produced controls both lepidopteran and coleopteran insect pests.

EXAMPLES

The invention will be further described by reference to the following detailed examples. These examples are provided for the purposes of illustration only, and are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified. Standard recombinant DNA and molecular cloning techniques used here are well known in the art and are described by J. Sambrook, et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 3d Ed., Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (2001); by T. J. Silhavy, M. L. Berman, and L. W. Enquist, Experiments with Gene Fusions, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1984) and by Ausubel, F. M. et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, New York, John Wiley and Sons Inc., (1988), Reiter, et al., Methods in Arabidopsis Research, World Scientific Press (1992), and Schultz et al., Plant Molecular Biology Manual, Kluwer Academic Publishers (1998).

Example 1. Parental Coding Sequences

Maize optimized cry3Aa, cry1Ab, cry1Ba, and cry1Fa coding sequences; designated herein mocry3Aa, mocry1Ab, mocry1Ba and mocry1Fa, respectively, were made according to the procedure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,136, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 67) coding sequence, which encodes a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 68) was made by modifying the mocry3A coding sequence by inserting a nucleotide sequence that encodes a Cathepsin G protease recognition site into domain I according to U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,295, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The mocry3Aa (SEQ ID NO: 67), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 68, cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 70, mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 72, mocry1Ba (SEQ ID NO: 73), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 74, mocry1Fa (SEQ ID NO: 75), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 76, cry8Aa (SEQ ID NO: 77), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 78, cry1Ac (SEQ ID NO: 79), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 80, and cry11a (SEQ ID NO: 81), which encodes the protein set forth in SEQ ID NO: 82, were used in the construction of the hybrid nucleic acids and the proteins which they encode and described in the following Examples.

Example 2. Use of PCR Primers to Construct Hybrid Nucleic Acids

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a repetitive, enzymatic, primed synthesis of a nucleic acid sequence. This procedure is well known and commonly used by those skilled in this art (See Mullis, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,683,195, 4,683,202, and 4,800,159; Saiki, Randall K., Stephen Scharf, Fred Faloona, Kary B. Mullis, Glenn T. Horn, Henry A. Erlich, Norman Arnheim [1985] “Enzymatic Amplification of .beta.-Globin Genomic Sequences and Restriction Site Analysis for Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Anemia,” Science 230:1350-1354.). PCR is based on the enzymatic amplification of a DNA fragment of interest that is flanked by two oligonucleotide primers that hybridize to opposite strands of the target sequence. The primers are oriented with the 3′ ends pointing towards each other. Repeated cycles of heat denaturation of the template, annealing of the primers to their complementary sequences, and extension of the annealed primers with a DNA polymerase result in the amplification of the segment defined by the 5′ ends of the PCR primers. Since the extension product of each primer can serve as a template for the other primer, each cycle essentially doubles the amount of DNA fragment produced in the previous cycle. This results in the exponential accumulation of the specific target fragment, up to several million-fold in a few hours. By using a thermostable DNA polymerase such as Taq polymerase, which is isolated from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus, the amplification process can be completely automated.

The chimeric coding sequences described in the following examples were constructed using various combinations of the exemplified primers shown in Table 1. The PCR reaction mixes and PCR thermocycling protocols used in the experiments are listed in Tables 2 and 3, respectively. In each of the examples that follow, the PCR primers are referred to by name and “SEQ ID NO:” and the PCR reaction mixes and PCR thermocycling protocols are referred to by their respective numbers. It will be recognized by the skilled person that other PCR primers and PCR reaction conditions can be used to construct the chimeric coding sequences of the invention and by listing the exemplified primers and PCR conditions that were used in the instant invention is not meant to be limiting in any way.

TABLE 1 Primers used to construct the coding sequences encoding eHIPs. Primer Name Sequence SEQ ID NO: 5′3A-1-bam 5′-CCGGATCCATGACGGCCGACAACAACACCGAGGC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 83 C3-3A-6 5′-CAGGGGCAGCTGGGTGATCT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 84 C3-1Ab-3 5′-AGATCACCCAGATCCCCCTG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 85 1Ab-6-sac 5′-CCGAGCTCAGCTCCTACACCTGATCGATGTGGTAGTCGG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 86 8A-ag-delRI 5′-CCGGATCCACCATGACTAGTAACGGCCGCCAGTGTGCTGGTATTCGCCCTTATGAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 87 C2-3A-4 5′-GTCCAGCACGGTCAGGGTCA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 88 reverse 5′-GCGTGCAGTCAAGTCAGATC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 89 FR8a-OL-1 5′-GGTGTTGTTGTCGGCCGTCATAGGGCGAATACCAGCAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 90 FR8a-OL-2 5′-GCCGACAACAACACCGAGGCCCTGGACAGCAGCACCACC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 91 C1-3A-2 5′-CAGGTGGGTGTTGGCGGCCTGGGCGTA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 92 5TR8a 5′-GGATCCACCATGACTAGTAAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 93 5′FR8a-12aa 5′-CCGGATCCACCATGTATGACGGCCGACAACAACACC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 94 C2-3A-3 5′-TGACCCTGACCGTGCTGGAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 95 3′1Ab-dm3 5′-GAGCTCCTAGGTCACCTCGGCGGGCAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 96 5′FR-del6 5′-GGATCCACCATGTGTGCTGGTATTCGCCCTAT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 97 5′1Ab-bam 5′-CCGGATCCATGGACAACAACCCCAACATCAAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 98 C3-3A-8 5′-GATGTCGCCGCCGGTGAAGC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 99 C3-3A-7 5′-GCTTCACCGGCGGCGACATC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 100 1B-5 5′-CCGCCGCGACCTGACCCTGGGCGTGCTGGAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 101 1B-10 5′-CCGAGCTCCTAGAACAGGGCGTTCAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 102 3A-22 5′-GGCCTTCACCAGGGGCAGCTGGGTGAT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 103 1B-7 5′-ATCACCCAGATCCCCATGGTGAAGGCC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 104 C3-1Ab-2 5′-CAGGGGGATCTGGGTGATCT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 105 C3-3A-5 5′-AGATCACCCAGCTGCCCCTG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 106 3A-12-sac 5′-CCGAGCTCAGCTCAGATCTAGTTCACGGGGATGAACTCGATCTT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 107 C4-3A-10 5′-TGGTGCTGGCGTAGTGGATGCGG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 108 C4-3A-9 5′-CCGCATCCACTACGCCAGCACCA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 109 C1-1Ab-1 5′-TACGTGCAGGCCGCCAACCTGCACCTG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 110 5′8Aa-dm3 5′-AGATCACCCAGCTGCCCCTGGTAAAGGGAGACATGTTATATC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 111 3′8Aa-dm3 5′-GAGCTCCTATGTCTCATCTACTGGGATGAA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 112 tant-OL-2 5′-GAGGGTGTGGGCCTTCACCAGGGGCAGCTGGGT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 113 tant-OL-1 5′-ACCCAGCTGCCCCTGGTGAAGGCCCACACCCTC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 114 tant-3′sac 5′-GAGCTCTAGCTTAAGCAGTCCACGAGGTT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 115 1Ac-OL-2 5′-TAAAAAGAAAGTTTCCCTTCACCAGGGGCAGCTGGGT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 116 1Ac-OL-1 5′-ACCCAGCTGCCCCTGGTGAAGGGAAACTTTCTTTTTA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 117 1Ac-3′sac 5′-GAGCTCCTATGTTGCAGTAACTGGAATAAA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 118 lIa-OL-2 5′-AAGACAGATTGAAAGCTTTTACTCAGGGGCAGCTGGGT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 119 lIa-OL-1 5′-ACCCAGCTGCCCCTGAGTAAAAGCTTTCAATCTGTCTT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 120 1Ia-3′sac 5′-GAGCTCCTACATGTTACGCTCAATATGGAGT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 121 FR-1Ab-2 5′-GATGTTGTTGAACTCGGCGCTCTTGTGGGTCCA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 122 FR-1Ab-1 5′-TGGACCCACAAGAGCGCCGAGTTCAACAACATC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 123 FR-1Ab-4 5′-GGCTCGTGGGGATGATGTTGTTGAAGTCGACGCTCTTGTGG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 124 FR-1Ab-3 5′-CCACAAGAGCGTCGACTTCAACACATCATCCCCAGCAGCC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 125 CMS94 5′-GGCGCGCCACCATGGCTAGCATGACTGGTGG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 136 CMS95 5′-GCAGGAACAGGTGGGTGTTG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 137 CMS96 5′-CCTGAACACCATCTGGCCCA-3′ SEQ ID NO: 138 CMS97 5′-CTGGCTGCTGGGGATGATGTTGTTGAAGTCGACGCTCTT-3′ SEQ ID NO: 139 CMS98 5′-GAGCTCTTAGGTCACCTCGGC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 140 CMS99 5′-AAGAGCGTCGACTTCAACAACATCATCCCCAGCAGCCAG-3′ SEQ ID NO: 141 CMS100 5′-GAAGTACCGCGCCCGCATCCGCTACGCCAGCACCACCAAC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 142 CMS101 5′-GTTGGTGGTGCTGGCGTAGCGGATGCGGGCGCGGTACTTC-3′ SEQ ID NO: 143

TABLE 2 PCR reaction mixes. Mix 1 Mix 2 Mix 3 50-100 ng template 50-100 ng template 50-100 ng template DNA DNA DNA 0.8 μM primer 1 0.8 μM primer 1 0.8 μM primer 1 0.8 μM primer 2 0.8 μM primer 2 0.8 μM primer 2 1X Pfu buffer 1X Taq buffer 1X cDNA Advantage 0.4 mM dNTPs 0.4 mM dNTPs buffer 2% formamide 2% formamide 0.4 mM dNTPs 1.25 units Pfu 2.5 units Taq x units cDNA Polymerase Polymerase Advantage (Stratagene) (Qiagen) Polymerase 2.5 units Taq water to a total (Clontech) Polymerase volume of 50 μl water to a total (Qiagen) volume of 50 μl water to a total volume of 50 μl Mix 4 Mix 5 50-100 ng template DNA 50-100 ng template DNA 0.4 μM primer 1 0.4 μM primer 1 0.4 μM primer 2 0.4 μM primer 2 1X PCR buffer (Invitrogen) 1X Pfu buffer (Stratagene) 0.4 mM dNTPs 0.2 mM dNTPs 2.5 units HotStart Taq Polymerase 1.25 units Pfu Turbo Polymerase water to a total volume of 50 μl water to a total volume of 50 μl

TABLE 3 PCR thermocycling profiles. Thermocycle Profile 1 Thermocycle Profile 2 Thermocycle Profile 3 94° C. - 5 minutes 94° C. - 5 minutes 94° C. - 5 minutes 20 cycles: 20 cycles: 20 cycles: 94° C. - 30 seconds 94° C. - 30 seconds 94° C. - 30 seconds 65° C. - 30 seconds 55° C. - 30 seconds 55° C. - 30 seconds 72° C. - 30 seconds 72° C. - 30 seconds 68° C. - 30 seconds 72° C. - 7 minutes 72° C. - 7 minutes 68° C. - 7 minutes hold at 4° C. hold at 4° C. hold at 4° C. Thermocycle Profile 4 Thermocycle Profile 5 Thermocycle Profile 6 94° C. - 15 minutes 94° C. - 5 minutes 94° C. - 5 minutes 20 cycles: 20 cycles: 20 cycles: 94° C. - 30 seconds 94° C. - 30 seconds 94° C. - 30 seconds 50-70° C. - 30 seconds 55-75° C. - 30 seconds 55-75° C. - 30 seconds 72° C. - 30 seconds 72° C. - 1 minute 72° C. - 2 minutes 72° C. - 7 minutes 72° C. - 15 minutes 72° C. - 15 minutes hold at 4° C. hold at 4° C. hold at 4° C.

Table 4 shows the relationship between the three domains of Cry3A055, Cry1Ab and Cry3A with their respective variable regions and conserved blocks. The amino acids comprised in the domains, conserved blocks and variable regions are shown for each protein.

TABLE 4 Cry3A055 Cry1Ab Cry3A Cry3A DO- (SEQ ID (SEQ ID (SEQ ID (SEQ ID MAIN REGION NO: 70) NO: 72) NO: 68) NO: 131) I V1  1-10  1-32  1-10  1-57 V1  11-142  33-152  11-141  58-188 CB1 143-172 153-182 142-171 189-218 V2 173-192 183-202 172-191 219-238 CB2 193-244 203-254 192-243 239-290 II 245-259 255-269 244-258 291-305 V3 260-444 270-452 259-443 306-490 CB3 445-454 453-462 444-453 491-500 III 455-492 463-500 454-491 501-538 V4 493-513 501-520 492-512 539-559 CB4 514-523 521-531 513-522 560-569 V5 524-586 532-596 523-585 570-632 CB5 587-598 597-606 586-597 633-644 V6 607-610 Protoxin 611-648

Example 3. Construction of 2OL-8a

A first nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C3-3A-6 (SEQ ID NO: 84) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycle Profile 1. This PCR reaction introduced a point mutation by deleting nucleotide 28 of SEQ ID NO: 69 (cry3A055), which caused a frame shift in the cry3A055 reading frame, and deleted the BamHI site and Kozak sequence (Kozak, M., 1986. Cell 44:283-92) at the 5′ end of the resulting amplicon.

A second nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C3-1Ab-3 (SEQ ID NO: 85) and 1Ab-6-Sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycle Profile 1.

The first and second nucleic acids described above were connected by uasing them as templates in an overlap PCR reaction (Horton et al., 1989. Gene 77: 61-68) with the primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1Ab-6-Sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) using PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycle Profile 1, except a 45-65° C. gradient was used for the annealing temperature.

The resulting amplicon was ligated as a blunt ended fragment to a pCR2.1-TOPO vector (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) cut with SmaI to form plasmid p2OL8a/CR2.1. A BamHI-SacI fragment from p2OL8a/CR2.1 was then ligated to pET21a (EMD Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, Calif.), which was cut with BamHI-SacI, and transformed into E. coli. The BamHI-SacI fragment from p2OL8a/CR2.1 comprised 40 nucleotides derived from the pCR2.1-TOPO vector adjacent to the out of frame amplicon from the first PCR reaction. Ligating this BamHI-SacI fragment to pET21a created an open reading frame starting with the start codon (ATG) of a T7 tag and ending with the SacI site of the inserted DNA. This open reading frame was designated 2OL-8a (SEQ ID NO: 1) and encodes the 2OL-8a chimeric insecticidal protein (SEQ ID NO: 2). Thus, the 2OL-8a chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MASMTGGQQMGRGSTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 126), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The nucleotides that encode amino acids 1-14 of the peptidyl fragment are derived from the T7-tag and the BamHI cleavage site of the pET21a vector. The nucleotides that encode amino acids 15-26 of the peptidyl fragment are derived from the pCR2.1-TOPO vector. And the nucleotides that encode amino acids 27-35 of the peptidyl fragment are derived from cry3A055 which are out of frame with the remainder of the cry3A055 coding sequence.

Example 4. Construction of FR8a

The FR8a coding sequence was constructed by placing a Kozak sequence (ACC) and a start codon (ATG) just downstream of an N-terminal BamHI site in 2OL-8a (See Example 3). In addition, an EcoRI site in 2OL-8a was disrupted to aid in future vectoring of FR8a. All of these changes were made using one PCR reaction with 2OL-8a as the template and the primers: 8a-atg-delRI (SEQ ID NO: 87) and C2-3A-4 (SEQ ID NO: 88) using PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycle Profile 2.

The resulting amplicon was ligated to a pCR2.1-TOPO vector (Invitrogen). A BamHI-PpuMI fragment from the cloned PCR product was then ligated to a PpuMI-NcoI fragment from 2OL8a/pCR2.1 (See Example 3) and a NcoI-BamHI fragment from 2OL8a/pCR2.1 to create FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) which encodes the FR8a chimeric insecticidal protein (SEQ ID NO: 4). Thus, the FR8a chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The FR8a eHIP was very active against western corn rootworm as shown in Table 5. Therefore, elimination of the T7 amino acid sequence from the N-terminal peptidyl fragment from the 2OL-8a eHIP did not have a negative impact on insecticidal activity.

Adding an additional 34 amino acids to the N-terminus of FR8a created a eHIP, designated FR8a+34 (SEQ ID NO: 160), with an N-terminal peptidyl fragment of 56 amino acids (SEQ ID NO: 131). The 56 amino acid N-terminal prptidyl fragment had no negative effect on activity of FR8a against western corn rootworm (See Table 5).

Example 5. Construction of FRCG

In order to determine if a cathepsin G protease recognition site was necessary for the insecticidal activity of a hybrid protein comprising an N-terminal fragment of Cry3A055, a construct was made which eliminated the cathepsin G site from the FR8a hybrid protein (Example 4). A first MluI-PpuMI nucleic acid fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) and a second PpuMI/MluI nucleic acid fragment from a plasmid comprising mocry3Aa (SEQ ID NO: 67) were ligated using standard molecular biology techniques to create FRCG (also designated FR8a-catg) (SEQ ID NO: 5) which encodes the FRCG hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 6). Thus, the FRCG chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-467 of a Cry3A protein (SEQ ID NO: 68), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The FRCG protein was as active against western corn rootworm as the FR8a protein (See Table 5) suggesting that a cathepsin G protease site is not required for insecticidal activity of a eHIP.

Example 6. Construction of FR8a-9F

A first approximately 323 bp nucleic acid fragment was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) using primers reverse (SEQ ID NO: 89) and FR8a-OL-1 (SEQ ID NO: 90) and PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycle Profile 2. A second approximately 470 bp nucleic acid fragment was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a using primers FR8a-OL-2 (SEQ ID NO: 91) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 92) and PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycle Profile 2. The two resulting amplicons were connected by using them as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 93) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 92) using PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycle Profile 2 to amplify the 5′ end of FR8a-9F. The overlap PCR product was cloned into a pCR2.1-TOPO vector (Invitrogen) designated 5′FR-9F/pCR2.1. A BamHI/PpuMI fragment of 5′FR-9F/pCR2.1 was then ligated to a PpuMI/BamHI fragment of FR8a to create FR8a-9F (SEQ ID NO: 7) which encodes the FR8a-9F chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 8). Thus, the FR8a-9F chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 129), amino acids 1-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The FR8a-9F eHIP was slightly less active against western corn rootworm than the FR8a eHIP (See Table 5) suggesting that the C-terminal 9 amino acids of the peptidyl fragment of SEQ ID NO: 127 play a role in conferring full insecticidal activity to FR8a.

Example 7. Construction of FR-9F-catg

The FR-9F-catg coding sequence was created to place the out-of-frame cry3A055 derived nucleotides of FR8a back in frame and to eliminate the cathepsin G protease recognition site. A BamHI/PpuMI fragment of 5′FR-9F/pCR2.1 (See Example 6) was ligated with a PpuMI/BamHI fragment of FRCG (See Example 5) to create the FR-9F-catg coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 9) which encodes the FR-9F-catg chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 10). Thus, the FR-9F-catg chimeric protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 129), amino acids 1-467 of a Cry3Aa protein (SEQ ID NO: 68), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The FR8a-9F-catg eHIP provided the same level of activity as FR8a against western corn rootworm (See Table 5) confirming that an eHIP can be made from either a modified Cry3A or a native Cry3 sequence.

Example 8. Construction of FR8a-12aa

The nucleotides encoding amino acids 2-13 of the peptidyl fragment comprised in FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 4) were removed using PCR. A fragment was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) using primers 5′FR8a-12aa (SEQ ID NO: 94) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 90) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycle Profile 1. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). A BamHI-PpuMI fragment from the pCR2.1-TOPO clone was then ligated with a PpuMI-BamHI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a to create FR8a-12aa (SEQ ID NO: 11) which encodes the FR8a-12aa chimeric insecticidal protein (SEQ ID NO: 12). Thus, the FR8a-12aa chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 128), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The FR8a-12aa eHIP provided the same level of activity as FR8a against western corn rootworm (See Table 5) suggesting that the N-terminal 12 amino acids of the peptidyl fragment of SEQ ID NO: 127 are not necessary for full insecticidal activity of 1-R8a.

Example 9. Construction of Wr-9mut

A nucleic acid fragment was PCR amplified from FR8a/pCR2.1 (Example 2) using primers 5′FR8a-12aa (SEQ ID NO: 94) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 92) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycle Profile 2. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). A BamHI/PpuMI fragment was then ligated to a PpuMI/BamHI fragment of FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) to create Wr-9mut (SEQ ID NO: 13) which encodes the WR-9mut protein (SEQ ID NO: 14), which comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 128), and amino acids 10-598 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70). Thus the WR-9mut protein is Cry3A055 with an N-terminal peptidyl fragment of the invention.

The WR-9mut protein was not active against western corn rootworm. Therefore, the addition of an N-terminal peptidyl fragment to a non-hybrid modified Cry3a protein destroyed insecticidal activity. This suggests that there may be some interaction between the Cry1 Ab C-terminal portion of FR8a and the N-terminal peptidyl fragment that confers full insecticidal activity to FR8a.

Example 10. Construction of FRD3

The 3′ end of this coding sequence was made by PCR amplifying a fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 3′1 Ab-dm3 (SEQ ID NO: 96) and PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycle Profile 2. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). A 364 bp ApaI/SacI fragment of the cloned amplicon, designated 3′FRD3/pCR2.1, was ligated with a SacI/ApaI fragment of FR8a to create FRD3 (SEQ ID NO: 15) which encodes the FRD3 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 16). The FRD3 chimeric protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises complete variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6. Thus, the FRD3 chimeric insecticidal protein is a variant of an FR8a chimeric insecticidal protein with the 38 amino acid region of the Cry1 Ab protoxin tail deleted.

The FRD3 eHIP provided the same level of activity as FR8a against western corn rootworm (See Table 5) suggesting that the 38 amino acid protoxin tail region of FR8a is not necessary for full insecticidal activity.

Example 11. Construction of FR-12-cg-dm3

A 3082 bp SacI/PpuMI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a-12 (See Example 8), a 721 bp PpuMI/MluI fragment of FRCG (See Example 5) and a 923 bp MluI/SacI fragment of FRD3 (See Example 10) were combined to create the FR-12-cg-dm3 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 17) which encodes the FR-12-cg-dm3 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 18). The FR-12-cg-dm3 chimeric protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 129), amino acids 10-467 of a Cry3Aa protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises complete variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6. Thus, the FR-12-cg-dm3 chimeric protein is a variant of FR8a with 12 N-terminal amino acids of the peptidyl fragment, the cathepsin G protease recognition site, and the 38 amino acid region of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail deleted.

The FR-12-cg-dm3 eHIP was not as active against western corn rootworm as FR8a (See Table 5) suggesting that some interaction between the C-terminal portion of FR8a and the N-terminal peptidyl fragment is required for full insecticidal activity.

Example 12. Construction of 9F-cg-de16

The 5′ end of this coding sequence was made by PCR amplifying a fragment from a plasmid comprising FR-9F-catg (See Example 7) using primers 5′FR-del6 (SEQ ID NO: 97) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 92) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycle Profile 3. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO. A 215 bp BamHI/PpuMI fragment was then ligated with a 4668 bp PpuMI/BamHI fragment of FR-9F-catg to create FR-9F-cg-del6 (SEQ ID NO: 19) which encodes the FR-9F-cg-de16 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 20). The FR-9F-cg-de16 chimeric protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 130), amino acids 1-467 of a Cry3A protein (SEQ ID NO: 68), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6; and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region. Thus, the FR-9F-cg-de16 chimeric protein is a variant of FR8a-9F-catg with amino acids 2 to 7 of the peptidyl fragment deleted.

The FR-9F-cg-de16 was not active against western corn rootworm suggesting that the N-terminal peptidyl fragment needs at least 7 amino acids of the C-terminal 9 amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 127 to be active against western corn rootworm.

Example 13. Construction of FR-cg-dm3

A 3839 bp MluI/SacI fragment of FRCG (Example 5) and a 923 bp MluI/SacI fragment of FRD3 (Example 10) were ligated to create FR-cg-dm3 (SEQ ID NO: 21) which encodes the FR-cg-dm protein (SEQ ID NO: 22). The FR-cg-dm3 chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-467 of a Cry3A protein (SEQ ID NO: 68), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6.

The FRD3 eHIP the same level of activity against western corn rootworm as FR8a (See Table 5) confirming that the cathepsin G site and the protoxin tail region of FR8a were not required for full insecticidal activity against western corn rootworm.

Example 14. Construction of 9F-cg-dm3

A MluI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR-9F-cg (See Example 7) was ligated with a 923 bp MluI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising FRD3 (See Example 10) to create 9F-cg-dm3 (SEQ ID NO: 23) which encodes the 9F-cg-dm3 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 24). The 9F-cg-dm3 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRP (SEQ ID NO: 129), amino acids 1-467 of a Cry3A protein (SEQ ID NO: 68), which comprises variable regions 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6.

The 9F-cg-dm3 eHIP provided the same level of activity against western corn rootworm (See Table 5) confirming that the C-terminal 9 amino acids of the peptidyl fragment could confer activity when domain I of the eHIP was comprised of either modified Cry3A (Cry3A055) variable regions and conserved blocks or Cry3A variable regions and conserved blocks.

Example 15. Construction of B8a

A nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C3-3A-8 (SEQ ID NO: 99) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1. A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), comprising variable regions 4-6, was amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C3-3A-7 (SEQ ID NO: 100) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1. The resulting amplicon was designated 2OL-8b.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of the Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C2-3A-4 (SEQ ID NO: 88) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry1Ba protein (SEQ ID NO: 74) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ba (SEQ ID NO: 73) using primers 1B-5 (SEQ ID NO: 101) and 1B-10 (SEQ ID NO: 102) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1, except a 60° C. annealing temperature was used.

The two above-described PCR products were then used as the templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1B-10 (SEQ ID NO: 102) using PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 2. The resulting amplicon was designated B10.

Next, a nucleic acid fragment of cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) was PCR amplified using 2OL-8b (see above) as the template and primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 3A-22 (SEQ ID NO: 103) with the following PCR conditions: Mix 1, thermocycling profile: 94° C.—45 seconds, 50° C.-70° C. gradient—45 seconds, 72° C.-90 seconds for 30 cycles. Another nucleic acid fragment was PCR amplified using B10 (see above) as the template and primers 1B-7 (SEQ ID NO: 104) and 1B-10 (SEQ ID NO: 102) using PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 2, except a 60° C. annealing temperature was used. The two resulting PCR products were then used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1B-10 (SEQ ID NO: 102) using the following PCR conditions: Mix 2, thermocycling profile: 94° C. —30 seconds, 40° C.-60° C. gradient—30 seconds, 72° C.—60 seconds for 30 cycles.

The resulting PCR product was ligated to a pCR2.1-TOPO vector (Invitrogen) and designated B10/pCR2.1. A BamHi-SacI fragment from B8a/pCR2.1 was then ligated to pET21a (Novagen), which was cut with BamHi/SacI, to create the B8a coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 25), which encodes a B8a hybrid toxin (SEQ ID NO: 26). The B8a hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), and amino acids 505-656 of a Cry1Ba protein (SEQ ID NO: 74).

Example 16. Construction of 5*B8a

A BamHI-XbaI fragment from a plasmid comprising 2OL-8a (See Example 3) and a XbaI-SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising B8a (See Example 15) were ligated to create 5*B8a (SEQ ID NO: 27), which encodes the 5*B8a chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 28). The 5*B8a protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-467 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 505-656 of a Cry1Ba protein (SEQ ID NO: 74). Thus, the 5*B8a chimeric protein is the B8a hybrid protein to which an N-terminal peptidyl fragment has been added.

Example 17. Construction of V3A

This gene was PCR amplified using 3 fragments together as templates: the first fragment was amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C2-3A-4 (SEQ ID NO: 88) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1; the second fragment was amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and C3-1Ab-2 (SEQ ID NO: 105) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1; and the third fragment was amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers C3-3A-5 (SEQ ID NO: 106) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1. These 3 PCR products were then used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) using PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1, to produce the ν3A coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 29), which encodes the V3A hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 30). The V3A hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-226 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, and the N-terminal 34 amino acids of conserved block 2, amino acids 237-474 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 33 amino acids of conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 20 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 467-598 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises the C-terminal 28 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, and conserved block 5.

The V3A eHIP comprises two crossover positions. The first crossover between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab is located in conserved block 2 and the second crossover between Cry1Ab and Cry3A055 is located in conserved block 3. Therefore, V3A is a variant of Cry3A055 in which all of variable region 3 has been replaced with variable region 3 of a Cry1Ab protein. The V3A eHIP was not as active against western corn rootworm as FR8a, suggesting that having Cry1Ab sequence in conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5 and/or variable region 6 is important for full insecticidal activity of FR8a.

The ν3A coding sequence was ligated to a pCR2.1-TOPO vector and then subcloned into pET21a using a BamHI/SacI fragment. The V3A protein expressed by the pET21a vector has a T7 tag on the N-terminus. This protein was designated T7-V3A.

Example 18. Construction of V4F

A first nucleic acid fragment encoding variable regions 1-3 of a Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C3-3A-6 (SEQ ID NO: 84) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A second nucleic acid fragment encoding variable region 4 of a Cry1Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C3-1Ab-3 (SEQ ID NO: 85) and C4-3A-10 (SEQ ID NO: 108) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A third nucleic acid fragment encoding variable regions 5-6 of Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers C4-3A-9 (SEQ ID NO: 109) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

All three PCR amplicons were combined and used as the template in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) using the following PC conditions: Mix 1 and thermocycling profile: 94° C.—30 seconds, 50° C.−70° C. gradient—30 seconds, 72° C.—30 seconds for 20 cycles. The resulting amplicon, designated the ν4F coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 31) which encodes the V4F hybrid toxin (SEQ ID NO: 32), was cloned into a pCR2.1-TOPO vector and designated v4F/pCR2.1. The V4F hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), amino acids 477-520, comprising variable region 4, of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), and amino acids 512-598 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70).

The V4F protein has two crossover positions. The first crossover between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab is in conserved block 3 and the second crossover between Cry1Ab and Cry3A055 is located in conserved block 4. Therefore, V4F is a variant of Cry3A055 in which all of variable region 4 has been replaced with variable region 4 of a Cry1Ab protein. The V4F hybrid protein was not active against western corn rootworm suggesting that Cry1Ab sequence at the C-terminal portion of FR8a contributes to the insecticidal activity of FR8a.

A BamHI-SacI fragment of v4F/pCR2.1 was subcloned into pET21. The protein expressed by the resulting plasmid was designated T7-V4F.

Example 19. Construction of 5*V4F

A BamHI-XbaI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (See Example 4) and a XbaI-SacI fragment from V4F/pCR2.1 (See Example 18) were ligated to pET21 cut with BamHI-SacI to form 5*V4F/pET21. The 5*V4F coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 33) encodes the 5*V4F chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 34). The 5*V4F chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-491 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), amino acids 501-520, comprising variable region 4, of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), and amino acids 512-598 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70).

The 5*V4F eHIP is the V4F hybrid protein with an N-terminal peptidyl fragment (SEQ ID NO: 127) added. The 5*V4F eHIP provided insecticidal activity against western corn rootworm although not at the same level as FR8a. Thus, the N-terminal conferred insecticidal activity to V4F confirming that there may be some contributory interaction between the C-terminal portion and the N-terminal peptidyl fragment of FR8a.

The protein expressed by the 5*V4F/pET21 plasmid was designated T7-5*V4F and has a T7 tag N-terminal to the 5*V4F peptidyl fragment.

Example 20. Construction of 2OL-7

A nucleic acid fragment encoding variable region 1 of Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 92) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding variable regions 2-6 of Cry1 Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C1-1Ab-1 (SEQ ID NO: 110) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

The resulting two amplicons were used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) using PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycling Profile 1, to create the 2OL-7 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 35) which encodes the 2OL-7 hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 36). The 2OL-7 hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-156 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable region 1 and the N-terminal 14 amino acids of conserved block 1, and amino acids 167-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 15 amino acids of conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5 and variable region 6, and 38 amino acids of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail region Thus, 2OL-7 is a variant of a Cry1Ab protein with variable region 1 replaced by variable region 1 from a Cry3A055 protein.

The 2OL-7 coding sequence was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen) and then moved into pET21a using BamHI/SacI which was designated 2OL-7/pET21a. The coding sequence in 2OL-7/pET21a was designated T7-2OL-7 (SEQ ID NO: 37). The protein expressed by the 2OL-7/pET21a vector was designated T7-2OL-7 (SEQ ID NO: 38).

Example 21. Construction of 5*2OL-7

A BamHI/XbaI fragment of FR8a (See Example 4), a PpuMI/SacI fragment of 2OL-7 (See Example 20) and a BamHI/SacI fragment of pET21a were ligated to produce 5*2OL-7/pET21a. The 5*2OL-7 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 39) encodes the 5*2OL-7 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 40). The 5*2OL-7 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyly fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-156 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), and amino acids 167-643 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72). Thus, the 5*2OL-7 hybrid protein is the 2OL-7 hybrid protein with a N-terminal peptidyl fragment added.

Example 22. Construction of 2OL-10

A nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of a Cry3A055 protein was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C2-3A-4 (SEQ ID NO: 88) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1. A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry1Ab protein was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1. These 2 PCR products were then used as the templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) using the following PCR conditions: Mix 2, thermocycling profile: 94° C.—30 seconds, 45° C.-65° C. gradient—30 seconds, 72° C.—30 seconds for 20 cycles, resulting in the 2OL-10 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 41) which encodes the 2OL-10 hybrid toxin (SEQ ID NO: 42). The 2OL-10 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-232 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 243-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72). Thus, the 2OL-10 hybrid protein is substantially Domain I of a Cry3A055 protein and Domains II and III of a Cry1Ab protein.

The 2OL-10 coding sequence was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen) then moved to pET21a using BamHI/SacI. The protein expressed by 2OL-10/pET21a was designated T7-2OL-10.

Example 23. Construction of 5*2OL-10

A BamHI-XbaI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (See Example 4) and a XbaI-SacI fragment from 2OL-10/pCR2.1 (See Example 22) were ligated to pET21 cut with BamHI-SacI to form 5*2OL-10/pET21. The 5*2OL-10 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 43) encodes the 5*2OL-10 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 44). The 5*2OL-10 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-232 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 243-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72). Thus, the 5*2OL-10 chimeric protein is the 2OL-10 hybrid protein with a N-terminal peptidyl fragment added.

Example 24. Construction of 2OL-12A

A first nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of Cry1Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers 5′1Ab-bam (SEQ ID NO: 98) and C3-1Ab-2 (SEQ ID NO: 105) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A second nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers C3-3A-5 (SEQ ID NO: 106) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

The first and second nucleic acid fragment described above were connected by using them as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′1Ab-bam (SEQ ID NO: 98) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) using Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1 to create the 2OL-12A coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 45) which encodes the 2OL-12A eHIP (SEQ ID NO: 46). The 2OL-12A protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-476 of a Cry1 Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72) and amino acids 469-598 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70).

The 2OL-12A eHIP was not active against western corn rootworm but was active against European corn borer (See Table 6). This demonstrates that eHIP can be constructed using lepidopteran active and coleopteran active Cry proteins without loss of activity against a lepidopteran insect species.

The 2OL-12A coding sequence was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen) then moved to pET21a with BamHI/SacI. The protein expressed by the 2OL-12A/pET21a vector was designated T7-2OL-12A. The

Example 25. Construction of 2OL-13

Four nucleic acid fragments were generated as follows: fragment 1 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C1-3A-2 (SEQ ID NO: 92) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1; fragment 2 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and C3-1Ab-2 (SEQ ID NO: 105) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1; fragment 3 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C3-1Ab-3 (SEQ ID NO: 85) and C4-3A-10 (SEQ ID NO: 108) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1; and fragment 4 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers C4-3A-9 (SEQ ID NO: 109) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

All four fragments were then used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction using primers 5′3A-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 3A-12-sac (SEQ ID NO: 107) using PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1 to create the 2OL-13 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 47) which encodes the 2OL-13 hybrid toxin (SEQ ID NO: 48). The 2OL-13 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-159 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), amino acids 170-522 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), and amino acids 515-598 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70). Thus, the 2OL-13 hybrid toxin is comprised of V1 and the N-terminal portion of CB1 from a Cry3A055 protein; the C-terminal portion of CB1, V2, CB2, V3, CB3, and V4 from a Cry1Ab protein; and CB4, V5, and CB5 from a Cry3A055 protein.

The 2OL-13 coding sequence was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen) then moved to pET21a using BamHI/SacI. The protein expressed by the 2OL-13/pET21a vector was designated T7-2OL-13.

Example 26. Construction of 2OL-20

A BamHI/NspI fragment from a plasmid comprising mocry3A (SEQ ID NO: 67), a NspI/HindIII fragment from a plasmid comprising 2OL-8A (SEQ ID NO: 1), and a HindIII/BamHI fragment from pET21a were ligated to make 2OL-20/pET21a.

Example 27. Construction of V5&6

A nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C4-3A-10 (SEQ ID NO: 108) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of Cry1Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C4-3A-9 (SEQ ID NO: 109) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

These two PCR products were then used as the templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) using PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 2 to create the V5&6 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 49), which encodes the V5&6 hybrid toxin (SEQ ID NO: 50). The V5&6 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-524 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises V1, CB1, V2, CB2, V3, CB3, V4, and CB4, and amino acids 533-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises V5, CB5 and V6, and 38 amino acids of a Cry1Ab protoxin tail region.

The V5 &6 coding sequence was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO then moved to pET21 with BamHI/SacI. The protein expressed by V5&6/pET21a was designated T7-V5&6.

Example 28. Construction of 5*V5&6

A BamHI/XbaI fragment of FR8a (See Example 4), a XbaI/SacI fragment of V5 &6 (See Example 27) and a BamHI/SacI fragment of pET21a were ligated to form 5*V5&6/pET21. The 5*V5&6 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 51) encodes the 5*V5&6 chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 52). The 5*V5&6 chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-524 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises V1, CB1, V2, CB2, V3, CB3, V4, and CB4, and amino acids 533-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises V5, CB5 and V6, and 38 amino acids of a Cry1Ab protoxin tail region. Thus, the 5*V5&6 chimeric insecticidal protein is the V5&6 hybrid protein with an N-terminal peptidyl fragment added.

Example 29. Construction of 88A-dm3

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry8Aa protein (SEQ ID NO: 78) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry8Aa (SEQ ID NO: 77) using primers 5′8Aa-dm3 (SEQ ID NO: 111) and 3′8Aa-dm3 (SEQ ID NO: 112) and PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycling Profile 2. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen) and designated 88A-dm3/pCR2.1.

A MluI/SacI fragment from 88A-dm3/pCR2.1 and a SacI/MluI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (See Example 4) were ligated to create the 88A-dm3 coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 53) which encodes the 88A-dm3 hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 54). The 88A-dm3 protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 532-664 of a Cry8Aa protein (SEQ ID NO: 78).

The 88A-dm3 coding sequence was also transformed into pET21a using a BamHI/SacI restriction digest and ligation. The protein expressed by 88A-dm3/pET21a was designated T7-88A-dm3.

Example 30. Construction of FR(1Fa)

A nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of FR8a (See Example 3) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 1) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and tant-OL-2 (SEQ ID NO: 113) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry1Fa protein (SEQ ID NO: 76) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Fa (SEQ ID NO: 75) using primers tant-OL-1 (SEQ ID NO: 114) and tant-3′sac (SEQ ID NO: 115) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3.

These two PCR products were then used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and tant-3′sac (SEQ ID NO: 115) using PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3. The resulting PCR product was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). A BamHI/MluI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a, a MluI/SacI fragment from the overlap PCR product in pCR2.1 and a BamHI/SacI fragment of pET21a were then ligated to create FR(1Fa)/pET21a. The FR(1Fa) coding sequence (SEQ ID NO: 55) encodes the FR(1Fa) chimeric protein (SEQ ID NO: 56). The FR(1Fa) protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 470-649 of a Cry1Fa protein (SEQ ID NO: 76).

Example 31. Construction of FR(1Ac)

Domains I & II of FR8a were PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 1) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 1Ac-OL-2 (SEQ ID NO: 116) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3. Domain III of Cry1Ac (SEQ ID NO: 80) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry1Ac (SEQ ID NO: 79) using primers 1Ac-OL-1 (SEQ ID NO: 117) and 1Ac-3′sac (SEQ ID NO: 118) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3.

These 2 PCR products were used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 1Ac-3′sac (SEQ ID NO: 118) and the following conditions: Mix 3 and thermocycling profile: 94° C.—30 seconds, 68° C.—30 seconds, 68° C.—30 seconds for 20 cycles. The overlap PCR product was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). A BamHI/MluI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a, the MluI/SacI fragment from the overlap PCR product in pCR2.1 and BamHI/SacI fragment of pET21a were ligated to create FR(1Ac)/pET21a. The FR(1Ac) protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 477-608 of a Cry1Ac protein (SEQ ID NO: 80).

Example 32. Construction of FR(1Ia)

A nucleotide fragment encoding Domains I and II of FR8a was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 1Ia-OL-2 (SEQ ID NO: 119) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3. A second nucleotide fragment encoding Domain III of a Cry1Ia protein (SEQ ID NO: 82) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry1Ia(SEQ ID NO: 81) using primers 1Ia-OL-1 (SEQ ID NO: 120) and 1Ia-3′sac (SEQ ID NO: 121) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 3. These two PCR products were used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 1Ia-3′sac (SEQ ID NO: 121) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling profile: 94° C.—30 seconds, 68° C.—45 seconds for 20 cycles. The overlap PCR product was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). The BamHI/MluI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a, the MluI/SacI fragment from the overlap PCR product in pCR2.1 and BamHI/SacI fragment of pET21a were ligated to create FR(1Ia)/pET21a. The FR(1Ia) protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) and amino acids 513-719 of a Cry1Ia protein (SEQ ID NO: 82).

Example 33. Construction of Dm2-3A

Part of the 5′ end of this coding sequence was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and FR-1Ab-2 (SEQ ID NO: 122) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 2. A nucleotide fragment encoding Domain III of Cry1Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers FR1Ab-1 (SEQ ID NO: 123) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 2. These two PCR products were used as the templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers C2-3A-3 (SEQ ID NO: 95) and 1Ab-6-sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 3 and thermocycling Profile 2. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR2.1-TOPO (Invitrogen). FR8a BamHI/MluI, and the above PCR product in pCR2.1-TOPO Af1III, FR8a Af1III/SacI were ligated into pET21a BamHI/SacI. The entire coding sequence (BamHI/SacI) was then moved to 1454. The DM2-3A chimeric insecticidal protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MTSNGRQCAGIRPYDGRQQHRG (SEQ ID NO: 127), amino acids 10-451 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 7 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 460-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 41 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6. Thus, the DM2-3A eHIP has a cross-over junction between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab located in conserved block 3 immediately following Ser451 which is upstream of the domain II domain III junction. DM2-3A has insecticidal activity against western corn rootworm but the activity was less than that of the 8AF and FR8a eHIPs as shown in Table 5.

Example 34. Construction of T7-8AF

A nucleic acid fragment encoding an N-terminal portion of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and C3-3A-6 (SEQ ID NO: 84) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycling Profile 1.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding a C-terminal portion of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72) was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers C3-1Ab-3 (SEQ ID NO: 85) and 1Ab-6-Sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) and PCR reaction Mix 1 and thermocycle Profile 1.

The two above-described PCR products were next used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with the primers 5′3A-1-bam (SEQ ID NO: 83) and 1Ab-6-Sac (SEQ ID NO: 86) using PCR reaction Mix 2 and thermocycling Profile 1.

The resulting amplicon was ligated as a blunt ended fragment to a pCR2.1-TOPO vector (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.) cut with SmaI to form plasmid p8AF/CR2.1. A BamHI-SacI fragment from p8AF/CR2.1 was then ligated to pET21a (EMD Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, Calif.), which was cut with BamHI-SacI, and transformed into E. coli. The open reading frame was designated T7-8AF (SEQ ID NO: 144) and encodes the T7-8AF hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 145). The T7-8AF hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, a peptidyl fragment comprising the amino acid sequence MASMTGGQQMGRGS (amino acids 1-14 of SEQ ID NO: 126), amino acids 1-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5 and variable region 6, and a 38 amino acid region of the Cry1Ab protoxin tail. The T7-8AF hybrid protein had little or no insecticidal activity against western corn rootworm.

Example 35. Construction of 8AF

A BamHI-SacI fragment from plasmid p8AF/CR2.1 (See Example 34) was ligated to a plasmid containing a constitutive Cry1Ac promoter that has been modified from that described by Schnepf et al. (1985. J. Biol. Chem. 260:6264-6272) to correct an internal ATG start codon which exists in the promoter of Schnepf et al. to an ATC codon, which was cut with BamHI-SacI, and transformed into E. coli. The open reading frame was designated 8AF (SEQ ID NO: 63) and encodes the 8AF eHIP (SEQ ID NO: 64). The 8AF eHIP is similar to the FR8a eHIP but does not contain the optional N-terminal peptidyl fragment. The 8AF eHIP comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-468 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 477-648 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises the C-terminal 24 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5 and variable region 6, and a 38 amino acid region of a Cry1Ab protoxin tail. Thus, the 8AF eHIP has a cross-over junction between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab located in conserved block 3 immediately following Leu468 of SEQ ID NO: 70 which is downstream of the domain II domain III junction. The 8AF eHIP had high activity against western corn rootworm.

Example 36. Construction of -catG8AF

A construct was made without the Cathepsin G (Cat G) site to determine whether the Cat G site in domain I of the 8AF eHIP was necessary for rootworm activity. A 1359 bp BamHI/SalI fragment from a plasmid comprising moCry3A (SEQ ID NO: 67) and a 3483 bp BamHI/SalI fragment from a plasmid comprising 2OL-8a (SEQ ID NO: 1) were ligated to create -catG8AF (SEQ ID NO: 146) which encodes the -catG8AF eHIP (SEQ ID NO: 147).

The -catG8AF eHIP was very active against western corn rootworm demonstrating that the Cathepsin G protease recognition site in the 8AF eHIP is not required for insecticidal activity.

Example 37. Construction of 8AFdm3

The 8AF eHIP described in Example 35 has a cross-over point between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab located in CB3 downstream of the domain II/III junction, resulting in domain III of the 8AF eHIP having a small N-terminal region of domain III of Cry3A055 and the remainder of domain III being Cry1Ab domain III sequence. To determine whether the small N-terminal region of domain III of Cry3A055 was required for insecticidal activity in 8AF, another construct was made having the cross-over between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab located in CB3 exactly at the domain II-domain III junction.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding part of domain I and domain II of Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) using primers CMS96 (SEQ ID NO: 138) and CMS97 (SEQ ID NO: 139) and PCR reaction Mix 5 and thermocycle Profile 5.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding domain III of moCry1 Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab (SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers CMS98 (SEQ ID NO: 140) and CMS99 (SEQ ID NO: 141) and PCR reaction Mix 5 and thermocycle Profile 5.

The resulting two amplicons were used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers CMS96 (SEQ ID NO: 138) and CMS98 (SEQ ID NO: 140) using PCR reaction Mix 5 and thermocycle Profile 6. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR4 Blunt (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.). A 1633 bp StuI/SacI fragment of the cloned amplicon, designated pCR4Blunt-OLWrdm3, and a approximately 3089 bp StuI/SacI fragment of a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) were combined to create 8AFdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 148) which encodes the 8AFdm3 hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 149).

The 8AFdm3 hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-454 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises domains I and II, which comprise variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 10 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 463-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises all of domain III, comprising the C-terminal 38 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5 and variable region 6.

Thus, the 8AFdm3 protein has a cross-over junction between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab immediately after Phe454 of SEQ ID NO: 70, which is at the domain II—domain III junction. The 8AFdm3 protein had no activity against western corn rootworm. This suggests that the 24 amino acid N-terminal region of CB3 of Cry3A055 or Cry3A, since they have the same sequence in this region, are necessary for activity of an 8AF eHIP.

Example 38. Construction of 8AFlongdm3

To determine if the location of the cross-over junction in CB3 between Cry3A or Cry3A005 and Cry1Ab was critical for rootworm activity a construct was made wherein the cross-over junction was placed in CB4 immediately after amino acid 519 of a Cry3A055 protein.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding part of domain I and all of domain II and part of domain III of Cry3A055 was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising cry3A055 (SEQ ID NO: 69) using primers CMS96 (SEQ ID NO: 138) and CMS101 (SEQ ID NO: 143) and PCR reaction Mix 5 and thermocycle Profile 5.

A nucleic acid fragment encoding part of domain III of Cry1Ab was PCR amplified from a plasmid comprising mocry1Ab(SEQ ID NO: 71) using primers CMS98 (SEQ ID NO: 140) and CMS100 (SEQ ID NO: 142) and PCR reaction Mix 5 and thermocycle Profile 5.

The resulting two amplicons were used as templates in an overlap PCR reaction with primers CMS96 (SEQ ID NO: 138) and CMS98 (SEQ ID NO: 140) using PCR reaction Mix 5 and thermocycle Profile 6. The resulting amplicon was cloned into pCR4 Blunt (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif.). A approximately 460 bp SalI/SacI fragment of the cloned amplicon, designated pCR4Blunt-OL8AFlongdm3, and a approximately 4265 bp SalI/SacI fragment of a plasmid comprising 8AFdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 147) were combined to create 8AFlongdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 150) which encodes the 8AFlongdm3 hybrid protein (SEQ ID NO: 151).

The 8AFlongdm3 hybrid protein comprises, from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-519 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises domains I and II, which comprise variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, conserved block 3, variable region 4, and the N-terminal 6 amino acids of conserved block 4, and amino acids 528-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises a C-terminal region of domain III, comprising the C-terminal 4 amino acids of conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, and variable region 6.

Thus, the 8AFlongdm3 protein has a cross-over junction between Cry3A055 and Cry1Ab in conserved block 4 immediately after Ile519 of SEQ ID NO: 70. The 8AFlongdm3 hybrid Cry protein had no activity against western corn rootworm. This suggests that a critical region for corn rootworm activity of a Cry3A-Cry1A eHIP lies in a region between amino acids corresponding to amino acid 6 of CB3 to amino acid 7 of CB4.

Example 39. Construction of cap8AFdm3

A approximately 1363 bp BamHI/SalI fragment from a plasmid comprising 8AFdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 148) and a approximately 3362 bp BamHI/SalI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) were ligated to create cap8AFdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 152) which encodes the cap8AFdm3 eHIP (SEQ ID NO: 153).

The cap8AFdm3 protein had some activity against western corn rootworm as indicated in Table 5. The only difference between the 8AFdm3 hybrid protein, which was not insecticidal, and the cap8AFdm3 eHIP is the presence of an N-terminal peptidyl fragment (SEQ ID NO: 127). Thus, adding a peptidyl fragment to a non-active hybrid Cry protein created a rootworm active engineered hybrid insecticidal protein.

Example 40. Construction of 8AFdm3T

A approximately 4654 bp PmlI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising 8AFdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 148) and a approximately 190 bp PmlI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) were ligated to create 8AFdm3T (SEQ ID NO: 154) which encodes the 8AFdm3T eHIP (SEQ ID NO: 155). The 8AFdm3T eHIP comprises from N-terminus to C-terminus, amino acids 1-454 of a Cry3A055 protein (SEQ ID NO: 70), which comprises domains I and II, which comprise variable region 1, conserved block 1, variable region 2, conserved block 2, variable region 3, and the N-terminal 10 amino acids of conserved block 3, and amino acids 463-610 of a Cry1Ab protein (SEQ ID NO: 72), which comprises all of domain III, comprising the C-terminal 38 amino acids of conserved block 3, variable region 4, conserved block 4, variable region 5, conserved block 5, variable region 6, and a 38 amino acid region of a Cry1Ab protoxin tail.

The only difference between the 8AFdm3 hybrid protein and the 8AFdm3T eHIP is the addition of the 38 amino acid Cry1Ab protoxin tail region indicating that addition of a protoxin tail region can change a non-active hybrid Cry protein into an active eHIP.

Example 41. Construction of 8AFlongdm3T

A approximately 4693 bp PmlI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising 8AFlongdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 150) and a approximately 190 bp PmlI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8a (SEQ ID NO: 3) were ligated to create 8AFlongdm3T (SEQ ID NO: 156) which encodes the 8AFlongdmT hybrid Cry protein (SEQ ID NO: 157).

The only difference between the 8AFlongdm3 hybrid Cry protein and the 8AFlongdm3T hybrid Cry protein, which was not active against western corn rootworm, is the addition of a 38 amino acid Cry1Ab protoxin tail region indicating that the protoxin region was not itself sufficient to confer insecticidal activity to the 8AFlongdm3 hybrid Cry protein. This indicates that a combination of variable regions and conserved blocks in addition to a protoxin tail region and/or an N-terminal peptidyl fragment may be necessary to create some eHIPs.

Example 42. Construction of cap8AFdm3 T

A approximately 4693 bp PmlI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising cap8AFdm3 (SEQ ID NO: 152) and a approximately 190 bp PmlI/SacI fragment from a plasmid comprising FR8A (SEQ ID NO: 3) were ligated to create cap8AFdm3T (SEQ ID NO: 158) which encodes the cap8AFdm3T eHIP (SEQ ID NO: 159).

The cap8AFdm3T protein had increased activity against western corn rootworm over the cap8AFdm3 eHIP as indicated in Table 5. The only difference between the cap8AFdm3 eHIP, which had some insecticidal activity against corn rootworm, and the cap8AFdm3T eHIP is the presence of a 38 amino acid protoxin tail region from Cry1 Ab. Thus, some hybrid Cry proteins can be made active by adding an N-terminal peptidyl fragment and a protoxin tail region.

Example 43. Testing Hybrid Proteins for Insecticidal Activity Western Corn Rootworm

Hybrid proteins generated in the above described Examples were tested for insecticidal activity against western corn rootworm in laboratory bioassays. Bioassays were performed using a diet incorporation method. E. coli clones that express one of the proteins were grown overnight. 500 μl of an overnight culture was sonicated and the amount of protein to be tested was determined. The protein solution was then mixed with 500 μl of molten artificial diet similar to that described in Marrone et al. (1985, J. of Economic Entomology 78:290-293). After the diet solidified, it was dispensed in a petri-dish and 20 neonate corn rootworm were placed on the diet. The petri-dishes were held at approximately 30° C. Mortality was recorded after 6 days.

Results of the bioassays are shown in Table 5. Column 1 indicates the names of the hybrid Cry proteins, engineered hybrid insecticidal proteins and chimeric insecticidal proteins. Column 2 indicates relative levels of western corn rootworm activity (“−”=<40% mortality; “+”=40-49% mortality; “++”=50-59% mortality; “+++”=60-80% mortality; and “++++”=>80% mortality). Column 3 indicates relative levels of the appropriate protein detected by Western blot. Column 4 indicates presence of a peptidyl fragment (“−”=No peptidyl fragment; #1=SEQ ID NO: 126; #2=SEQ ID NO: 127; #3=SEQ ID NO: 128; #4=SEQ ID NO: 129; #5=SEQ ID NO: 130; #6=SEQ ID NO: 131; #7=SEQ ID NO: 132). Columns 5-7 show the combinations and arrangement of the variable regions (V1-V6), conserved blocks (C1-05) and associated domains (Domain I-III) from a first Bt Cry protein or modified Cry protein and a second Bt Cry protein different from the first Cry protein or modified Cry protein that make up a core hybrid protein, which are not active against western corn rootworm and eHIPs, which have activity against western corn rootworm. Column 8 indicates the number of amino acids in a protoxin tail region if present and the Cry protein from which the tail region is derived (“1 Ab-38”=38 amino acids from a Cry1 Ab protoxin tail; “1Ba-18”=18 amino acids from a Cry1B a protoxin tail).

TABLE 5 Results of western corn rootworm bioassays. Do- main Proteins CRW Protein Peptidyl Domain I II Domain III Protoxin Tested Activity Expressed Fragment V1 C1 V2 C2 V3 C3 V4 C4 V5 C5 V6 Region 8AF ++++ ++ — 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 T7-8AF − + #7 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 -CatG8AF ++++ ++ — 3A 3A 3A 1Ab 1Ab-38 8AFdm3 − + — 3A055 3A055 1Ab — 8AFdm3T +++ ++ — 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 8AFlongdm3 − + — 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab — 8AFlongdm3T − + — 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 Cap8AFdm3 + + #2 3A055 3A055 1Ab — Cap8AFdm3T ++ ++ #2 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 2OL-8a ++++ ++ #1 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 FR8a + 34 ++++ ++ #6 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 FR8a ++++ ++ #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 FRCG ++++ ++ #2 3A 3A 3A 1Ab 1Ab-38 FR8a-9F +++ ++ #5 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 FR8a-9F-catg ++++ ++ #5 3A 3A 3A 1Ab 1Ab-38 FR8a-12aa ++++ ++ #3 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 Cry3A055 ++++ ++ — 3A055 3A055 3A055 — 5*Cry3A055 − ++ #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 — Wr-9mut − ++ #3 3A055 3A055 3A055 — FRD3 ++++ ++ #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab — FR-12-cg-dm3 ++ ++ #3 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab — 9F-cg-del6 − ++ #5 3A 3A 3A 1Ab 1Ab-38 FR-cg-dm3 ++++ ++ #2 3A 3A 3A 1Ab — 9F-cg-dm3 ++++ ++ #5 3A 3A 3A 1Ab — B8a − + — 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ba 1Ba-18 5*B8a − + #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ba 1Ba-18 V3A ++ + — 3A055 1Ab 3A055 — V4F − ++ — 3A055 3A055 1Ab 3A055 — 5*V4F ++ + #2 3A055 3A055 1Ab 3A055 — 2OL-7 − ++ — 3A055 1Ab 1Ab 1Ab 1Ab-38 5*2OL-7 − + #2 3A055 1Ab 1Ab 1Ab 1Ab-38 2OL-10 − + — 3A055 1Ab 1Ab 1Ab-38 5*2OL-10 +/− +/− #2 3A055 1Ab 1Ab 1Ab-38 2OL-12A − ++ — 1Ab 1Ab 3A — 2OL-13 − − — 3A055 1Ab 1Ab 3A055 — 2OL-20 − + — 3A 3A 3A 1Ab 1Ab-38 V5&6 − ++ — 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 5*V5&6 − ++ #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38 88A-dm3 − ++ #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 8Aa — FR(1Fa) − ++ #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Fa — FR(1Ac) − + #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ac — FR(1Ia) − − #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ia — DM23A + + #2 3A055 3A055 3A055 1Ab 1Ab-38

The chimeric insecticidal proteins, 2OL-8a and FR8a, and the 2OL-12A eHIP, were tested against several insect species to determine spectrum of activity. The insects tested included western corn rootworm (WCR), northern corn rootworm (NCR), southern corn rootworm (SCR), Colorado potato beetle (CPB), and European corn borer (ECB). Results of the assays are shown in Table 6. A “+” indicates insecticidal activity. A “−” indicates no activity. The 2OL-8a and FR8a CIPs were active against WCR, NCR and CPB. The 2OL-12A eHIP was surprisingly active against ECB.

TABLE 6 Activity spectrum of CIPs. Activity Spectrum Protein WCR NCR SCR CPB ECB 2OL-8a + + − + − FR8a + + − + − 2OL-12A − nt nt nt + Cry3A055 + + − + − Cry3A − − − + − Cry1Ab − − − − +

Example 44. Insertion of Genes Encoding eHIPs into Plants

Three genes encoding the chimeric insecticidal proteins FR8a, FRCG and FRD3 were chosen for transformation into maize plants. An expression cassette comprising the FR8a or FRCG or FRD3 coding sequence was transferred to a suitable vector for Agrobacterium-mediated maize transformation. For this example, the following vectors were used in the transformation experiments: 12207 (FIG. 3), 12161 (FIG. 4), 12208 (FIG. 5), 12274 (FIG. 6), 12473 (FIG. 7) and 12474 (FIG. 8).

Transformation of immature maize embryos was performed essentially as described in Negrotto et al., 2000, Plant Cell Reports 19: 798-803. For this example, all media constituents were essentially as described in Negrotto et al., supra. However, various media constituents known in the art may be substituted.

The genes used for transformation were cloned into a vector suitable for maize transformation. Vectors used in this example contain the phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) gene for selection of transgenic lines (Negrotto et al., supra).

Briefly, Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 (pSB1) containing a plant transformation plasmid was grown on YEP (yeast extract (5 g/L), peptone (10 g/L), NaCl (5 g/L), 15 g/1 agar, pH 6.8) solid medium for 2-4 days at 28° C. Approximately 0.8×10⁹ Agrobacterium were suspended in LS-inf media supplemented with 100 μM As (Negrotto et al., supra). Bacteria were pre-induced in this medium for 30-60 minutes.

Immature embryos from A188 or other suitable genotype are excised from 8-12 day old ears into liquid LS-inf+100 μM As. Embryos are rinsed once with fresh infection medium. Agrobacterium solution is then added and embryos are vortexed for 30 seconds and allowed to settle with the bacteria for 5 minutes. The embryos are then transferred scutellum side up to LSAs medium and cultured in the dark for two to three days. Subsequently, between 20 and 25 embryos per petri plate are transferred to LSDc medium supplemented with cefotaxime (250 mg/1) and silver nitrate (1.6 mg/1) and cultured in the dark for 28° C. for 10 days.

Immature embryos, producing embryogenic callus were transferred to LSD1M0.5S medium. The cultures were selected on this medium for about 6 weeks with a subculture step at about 3 weeks. Surviving calli were transferred to Reg1 medium supplemented with mannose. Following culturing in the light (16 hour light/8 hour dark regiment), green tissues were then transferred to Reg2 medium without growth regulators and incubated for about 1-2 weeks. Plantlets were transferred to Magenta GA-7 boxes (Magenta Corp, Chicago Ill.) containing Reg3 medium and grown in the light. After about 2-3 weeks, plants were tested for the presence of the pmi gene and the FR8a or FRCG genes by PCR. Positive plants from the PCR assay were transferred to the greenhouse and tested for resistance to corn rootworm.

Example 45. Analysis of Transgenic Maize Plants for Corn Rootworm Efficacy: Root Excision Bioassay

Typically, corn plants are sampled as they are being transplanted from Magenta GA-7 boxes into soil. This allows the roots to be sampled from a reasonably sterile environment relative to soil conditions. Sampling consists of cutting a small piece of root (ca. 2-4 cm long) and placing it onto enriched phytagar (phytagar, 12 g., sucrose, 9 g., MS salts, 3 ml., MS vitamins, 3 ml., Nystatin (25 mg/ml), 3 ml., Cefotaxime (50 mg/ml), 7 ml., Aureomycin (50 mg/ml), 7 ml., Streptomycin (50 mg/ml), 7 ml., dH₂O, 600 ml) in a small petri-dish. Negative controls are either transgenic plants that are PCR negative for the FR8a or FRCG gene from the same transformation experiment, or from non-transgenic plants (of a similar size to test plants) that were being grown in the phytotron.

Roots are also sampled after plants have been growing in soil. If sampling roots from soil, the root pieces are washed with water to remove soil residue, dipped in Nystatin solution (5 mg/ml), removed from the dip, blotted dry with paper toweling, and placed into a phytagar dish as above.

Root samples are inoculated with western corn rootworms by placing about 10 first instar larvae onto the inside surface of the lid of each phytagar dish and the lids then tightly resealed over the exposed root piece. Larvae are handled using a fine tip paintbrush. After all dishes were inoculated, the tray of dishes was placed in the dark at room temperature until data collection.

At about 2-4 days after root inoculation, data were collected. The percent mortality of the larvae was calculated along with a visual damage rating of the root. Feeding damage was scored by observing the number of feeding holes (FH) in the root piece caused by the rootworm larvae and was rated as high, moderate, low, or absent and given a numerical value of category 3, 2, or 1, respectively (with Category 1 including damage ratings of absent and/or low). Category 1 plants typically have 0-FH to 2-FH; Category 2 plants have 3 to 4-FH; and Category 3 plants have >5-FH. Root samples having a damage rating in Category 1 were considered excellent performers, category 2: average performers and category 3: poor performers. Category 1 plants were selected for further testing in the greenhouse and field.

Results in Table 7 show that plants expressing a the FR8a and FRCG eHIPs protected roots from feeding damage caused by western corn rootworm. A majority of events expressing the chimeric insecticidal protein were considered category 1 plants, whereas control plants not expressing a chimeric insecticidal protein were in category 3. Plants expressing the FRD3 eHIP provided comparable levels of control of western corn rootworm.

TABLE 7 Efficacy of transgenic plants expressing FR8a and FRCG against WCR. Damage Rating Vector Event (No. FH) Category 12161 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 0 1 4 3 2 5 2 1 6 0 1 7 0 1 8 0 1 9 1 1 10 1 1 11 4 2 12 0 1 Control 1 6 3 2 6 3 3 6 3 4 18 3 12208 1 0 1 2 0 1 3 3 2 4 4 2 5 1 1 6 4 2 7 0 1 8 4 2 9 4 2 10 1 1 11 1 1 12 1 1 13 0 1 Control 1 10 3 2 5 3 3 7 3 4 7 3 5 8 3 6 8 3 12207 1 0 1 2 2 1 3 1 1 4 2 1 5 1 1 6 2 1 7 4 2 8 3 2 9 4 2 Control 1 7 3 2 9 3 3 8 3 4 11 3 5 7 3 6 12 3 12274 1 3 2 2 0 1 3 3 2 4 3 2 5 0 1 6 3 2 7 3 2 8 0 1 9 3 2 10 3 2 11 0 1 Control 1 10 3 2 10 3 3 10 3 4 7 3 5 8 3 6 6 3

Example 46. Analysis of Transgenic Maize Plants for Corn Rootworm Efficacy in the Field

Some positive plants identified using the root excision bioassay described above were evaluated in the field. Eighteen plants from each event were removed from field plots and evaluated for damage to the roots. Root damage was rated using the Iowa State 0 to 3 linear root damage scale (Oleson, J. D. et al., 2005. J. Econ Entomol. 98(1): 1-8), where 0.00=no feeding damage (lowest rating that can be given); 1.00=one node (circle of roots), or the equivalent of an entire node, eaten back to within approximately 1½ inches of the stalk (soil line on the 7th node); 2.00=two complete nodes eaten; 3.00=three or more nodes eaten (highest rating that can be given); and damage in between complete nodes eaten is noted as the percentage of the node missing, i.e. 1.50=1½ nodes eaten, 0.25=¼ of one node eaten, etc.

Results of the field trials against western and northern corn rootworm are shown in Table 8 and against Mexican corn rootworm in Table 9. All transgenic corn expressing the FR8a chimeric insecticidal protein performed better than a standard commercial chemical insecticide against western, northern and Mexican corn rootworm.

TABLE 8 Results of western and northern corn rootworm field trials. Event Plasmid Root Rating 1 12161 (ubi: FR8a)   0.08 2 12161 0.05 3 12161 0.09 4 12161 0.04 5 12274 (cmp: FR8a) 0.04 6 12274 0.08 7 12274 0.05 Chemical 0.15 Neg Check 0.87

TABLE 9 Results of Mexican corn rootworm field trials. Event Plasmid Root Rating 1 12161 (ubi: FR8a)   0.04 5 12274 (cmp: FR8a) 0.22 6 12274 0.05 Chemical 0.15 Neg Check 1.04 

What is claimed is:
 1. An engineered hybrid insecticidal protein comprising in an N-terminus to C-terminus direction an N-terminal region of a Cry1Ab protein fused to a C-terminal region of a Cry3A protein, wherein at least one crossover position between the Cry1Ab protein and the Cry3A protein is located in conserved block 3, wherein the engineered hybrid insecticidal protein is active against European corn borer and (a) comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:46; or (b) is encoded by a nucleotide sequence having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:45.
 2. The engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according to claim 1, wherein the Cry3A is a Cry3Aa or a modified Cry3Aa.
 3. The engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according to claim 2, wherein (a) the Cry3Aa comprises SEQ ID NO:68 or SEQ ID NO:135, or (b) the modified Cry3Aa comprises SEQ ID NO:70, and wherein the Cry1Ab comprises SEQ ID NO:72.
 4. The engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according claim 3, wherein a crossover position between Cry1Ab and Cry3A or Cry1Ab and modified Cry3A is located in conserved block 3 immediately following an amino acid corresponding to Leu476 of SEQ ID NO:72.
 5. The engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according claim 4, wherein a crossover position between Cry1Ab and Cry3A or Cry1Ab and modified Cry3A is located in conserved block 3 immediately following Leu476 of SEQ ID NO:72.
 6. The engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according to claim 1, wherein the protein comprises SEQ ID NO:46.
 7. The engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according to claim 1, wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises SEQ ID NO:45.
 8. An insecticidal composition comprising the engineered hybrid insecticidal protein according to claim
 1. 9. A method of controlling insect pests, comprising delivering to the insect pests an effective amount of the engineered insecticidal protein according to claim
 1. 